Department for Transport

Heathrow Airport

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Section 78(5)(f) of the Civil Aviation Act 1982, how many dispensations given by the Secretary of State are currently active at Heathrow Airport.

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many dispensations under Section 78 (4) of the Civil Aviation Act 1982 were given by airport managers at Heathrow Airport in the last six months; and for what reasons these dispensations were given.

Jesse Norman: In the six months to 7 November 2022, there were 409 dispensations under a notice granted by an airport manager at Heathrow Airport. Widespread and prolonged air traffic disruption accounted for 399 of these dispensations; emergencies, with an immediate danger to life or health accounted for 8 dispensations; and delays likely to lead to serious airfield or terminal congestion accounted for 2 dispensations.Over the same period, one dispensation was given by the Secretary of State under Section 78(5)(f) of the Civil Aviation Act 1982.Heathrow Airport Limited publishes night flight dispensations data in its quarterly Night Flight Report.The Government publishes guidance for airport managers on eligibility for dispensations, and any dispensations must be notified to the Department within seven days.

Department for Transport: Email and Mobile Phones

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance his Department provides to (a) Ministers and (b) employees on the use of personal (i) mobile phones and (ii) email addresses for Government business.

Jesse Norman: There is a place for the use of a variety of digital channels in fast moving modern environments. Ministers will have informal conversations from time to time, in person or remotely, and relevant content from such discussions is passed back to officials. They will also use a variety of digital communications channels for personal, political and Parliamentary matters.The Cabinet Office has published guidance to departments on the use of private email that covers how information is held for the purposes of access to information, and how formal decisions are recorded for the official record. This guidance is being updated to reflect changes in technology and ways of working, and will be published by the Cabinet Office in due course.It is Government policy not to comment on individual Ministers’ security arrangements. Ministers receive support and expert advice to help them meet their obligations in the most appropriate and secure fashion. That includes regular security briefings for Ministers, and advice on protecting their personal data and mitigating cyber threats.

Motor Vehicles: Testing

Jonathan Gullis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the maximum MOT charges allowed for each type of vehicle were last reviewed; and how much his Department spent on all costs associated with carrying out MOT tests (a) in total and (b) per test carried out, in the last 12 months.

Mr Richard Holden: The maximum MOT fees were last reviewed in 2010 with the most recent increases in the maximum fee in April 2010. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency incurred costs totalling £32,438,000 in the financial year 2020/21 to administer MOT testing. 40,490,000 MOT tests were done in 2020/21 so the cost per test was 80 pence.

Dual Carriageways: Norwich

Chloe Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress his Department has made on implementing the Norwich Western Link; and what the next stage of the project will be.

Mr Richard Holden: Officials in the Department are currently completing their assessment of the Outline Business Case which Norfolk County Council amended in September. Once this work has been completed, advice will be put to Ministers for a decision.

Motorways: Safety

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if it remains his Department's policy not to reinstate hard shoulders on smart motorways

Mr Richard Holden: We have paused the rollout of new smart motorways to collect more safety and economic data to make informed decisions on next steps. We will consider alternative options for enhancing capacity on the Strategic Road Network. The Government has acted to improve smart motorway safety, ordering a stocktake in 2020 and investing £900 million to equip them with stopped vehicle detection, enforcement cameras, additional signs and emergency areas.

A12

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of current proposals for Junction 24 of the A12 Widening Scheme on traffic in Inworth.

Mr Richard Holden: National Highways submitted its application for development consent to the Planning Inspectorate in August 2022 and the application has been published on the Inspectorate’s website:https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/eastern/a12On 12-chelmsford-to-a120-widening-scheme/. National Highways has assessed the potential impact of the current proposal for Junction 24 of the A12 Widening Scheme on traffic in Inworth. This is set out in the Environmental Statement, Appendix 3.3, Junction 24, Inworth Road and Community Bypass Technical Report on the Inspectorate’s website. An independent examining authority will carry out an examination of the proposal, including public hearings, and in due course will make a recommendation on whether to grant development consent order. It would not be appropriate to comment further while this application is under consideration.

Roads: Hunting

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the League Against Cruel Sports report entitled Hunt Havoc: The Human Cost of Hunting With Hounds, published in October 2022, whether he has made a recent assessment of that report's findings on hunts causing interference on roads; whether he has made a recent assessment on the potential impacts of hunts on road users; and whether he is taking steps he is taking to address the findings of that report.

Mr Richard Holden: The Department for Transport does not hold any data on hunts causing interference on the road network.

Employment: Industrial Disputes

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a comparative assessment of the potential merits of strengthening duties on employers to resolve industrial disputes against the potential effect of introducing the Transport Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill.

Huw Merriman: We want to see a fair resolution to industrial disputes and would encourage all parties to negotiate to deliver that. Unilaterally forcing employers to resolve disputes would risk undermining that process of negotiation and could see even more disputes and strikes being called. What is clear is that the current rail strikes are not in the interest of the travelling public, of train companies, or, ultimately, of railway employees.

Roads: Capital Investment

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to announce the schemes to be funded as part of the Third Road Investment Strategy.

Mr Richard Holden: Schemes to be taken forward as part of the third Road Investment Strategy (2025-2030) are expected to be announced in 2024.

Railways: Finance

James Wild: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the (a) highest, (b) lowest and (c) median Cost Benefit Ratio was for rail upgrade projects approved under the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline.

Huw Merriman: The Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) is only one element of the economic case we consider, and the economic case is itself one of 5 dimensions to be considered. Some of our projects do not have estimated BCRs.The highest core BCR within the RNEP is “financially positive”. This occurs when the revenues generated from an investment outweigh the upfront capital costs and the ongoing operating costs. The lowest core BCR we have recorded is from the bottom end of a range of potential options for a project at an early stage of development and is 0.4.The median BCR in our available dataset is 1.91, however, given the range of maturity, sensitivities and assumptions involved in BCRs and the fact that this is one element of one case in the business cases for enhancements projects, this median should not be interpreted as meaningfully representative of the value of rail enhancements or the portfolio.

Railways: Industrial Disputes

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to help resolve industrial disputes between rail workers and franchises.

Huw Merriman: The Transport Secretary wants to see an end to the rail industrial disputes, which are affecting passengers, the industry and the rail workers themselves. He is very clear that it is for employers and trade unions to negotiate the details of essential workforce reforms that would enable an affordable pay deal. Discussions are ongoing at a high level between the Rail Delivery Group (on behalf of the train operating companies), and trade unions regarding workforce reform and pay.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Energy Bill Relief Scheme

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2022 to Question 73833, what the total amount is that the Government plans to make available to UK energy suppliers under the Energy Bill Relief Scheme; what the maximum amount is that the Government plans to make available to each of those suppliers under that scheme; and if he will make an estimate of the number of business that are customers of each of those suppliers.

Graham Stuart: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Energy Bills Rebate

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to boost the redemption of vouchers for the Energy Bills Support Scheme discount for customers using traditional prepayment meters.

Graham Stuart: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Minerals: China

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure that existing contracts for critical minerals with the People’s Republic of China are honoured by that country.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of revising the UK Critical Minerals Strategy to address the strategic threat posed by China.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to combat purported false reasons provided by China for lack of material availability and non-performance of metals contracts in favour of Chinese domestic critical metals requirements.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Critical Minerals Strategy recognises that China dominates several key critical mineral supply chains. Of the 18 critical minerals (defined by the UK criticality assessment), China is the largest producer for 12 of those minerals, either as a raw material or refined product. We need to continue to engage with China to achieve our objectives, including to improve environmental, social and governance performance in critical mineral supply chains, while continuing to strive for diversified and resilient supply chains. We will stand up for our values, protect our national security and hold China to its international commitments and promises. We will publish a refresh of the strategy before the end of the year which will take account of changing geopolitical dynamics.

Metals

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of companies in the UK which can carry out sourcing and forming operations for various critical metals.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to increase the number of companies in the UK which can carry out sourcing and forming operations for various critical metals.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The UK has a strong mining and engineering sector, world-leading R&D and pockets of mineral wealth. We have minerals expertise, including industrial clusters across the UK, and Europe’s leading mining school. The City of London is a global centre of mining finance, standards, and metals trading. The Critical Minerals Strategy includes ambitions to maximise what the UK can produce domestically, where viable for businesses and where it works for communities and our natural environment. We are undertaking a national critical mineral resource assessment and have mechanisms to boost our capabilities, such as the Automotive Transformation Fund. We are also seeking to support UK companies operating around the world to participate in building responsible and diversified global supply chains.

Metals: Shortages

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which critical metals he has identified as being in short supply and pose a challenge to the UK's security of supply of critical minerals.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure the security of supply of Hafnium.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure the security of supply of Molybdenum.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: Earlier this year, BEIS commissioned the British Geological Survey to carry out the UK’s first criticality assessment, and it defined 18 critical minerals with the highest supply risk and economic importance. However, the Government recognises that UK needs and international markets can change, and therefore the assessment will be reviewed regularly through the Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre (CMIC). The Critical Minerals Strategy sets out plans to improve the resilience of critical minerals supply chains by boosting domestic capability, enhancing global markets, and playing a leading role in solving global challenges with our international partners.

Metals: Recycling

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress he has made on ensuring that the UK recovers more critical metals produced in this country to support the UK Critical Minerals Strategy.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what mechanisms he has identified to improve domestic critical metals recovery which are more (a) accessible and (b) short-term than the recovery of metals from electric vehicles.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the efficacy of the end of waste classification in facilitating the domestic recovery of critical metals.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what projects he has identified for Government support to help aid greater recovery of key critical metals in the UK.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to prevent critical metals waste from being exported and recovered abroad rather than in the UK.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: As part of the commitment to improve critical mineral supply chain resilience, the Government will look at ways to promote recycling and recovery by exploring regulatory interventions to promote re-use, recycling, and recovery of critical minerals. The Government plans to consult on reforms to the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations and end-of-life batteries next year. The Government will also access public R&D funding for recycling, reuse, resource efficiency and substitution of critical minerals and explore how Government funding mechanisms such as UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) can support it. The £30 million National Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Research (NICER) Programme includes a centre on technology metals supporting companies developing domestic capabilities in the circular economy. In line with WTO rules, the Government does not have any plans to restrict the export of metal waste from the UK.

Electric Vehicles: Solihull

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether initiatives in Solihull constituency will receive funding as part of his Department's support for clean electric vehicle auto-growth.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Government has allocated almost £650m to the Advanced Propulsion Centre in support of projects, worth more than £1.3bn, including in Solihull, to support the research, development and manufacture of zero emission vehicles and technologies. The Government is committed to developing an internationally competitive electric vehicle supply chain. The Automotive Transformation Fund supports late-stage R&D and capital projects, unlocking private investment and helping to create well-paid green jobs in our industrial heartlands.

Intellectual Property: Ministerial Responsibility

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which Minister is responsible for intellectual property.

George Freeman: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Renewable Energy

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he has taken to establish more renewable sources of UK energy since 1 January 2022.

Graham Stuart: On 7 July 2022, the Government published the results of the fourth allocation round of the Contracts for Difference (CfD) renewable energy scheme. It delivered almost 11GW of new renewable projects, almost double what achieved in the previous round. Further information can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/contracts-for-difference-cfd-allocation-round-4-results.

District Heating: Energy Price Guarantee

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, for what reason people who use heat networks are classed as non-domestic users under the energy price cap.

Graham Stuart: Heat network operators usually purchase energy to supply heat through commercial contracts on behalf of their consumers. This can be more cost effective for consumers, as commercial purchase rates tend to be lower than domestic ones. The Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) for GB & NI will enable the Government to provide financial assistance for all eligible non-domestic customers, including heat network operators, to ensure they are protected from excessively high energy bills over the winter period.

District Heating

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Government plans to reclassify Heat Network users from non-domestic to domestic users.

Graham Stuart: The Government does not propose to reclassify heat network consumers as domestic users.

Housing: Energy

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to encourage households to reduce their domestic energy consumption.

Graham Stuart: The Government is investing over £6.6 billion this parliament to improve energy efficiency and decarbonise heating.Through the Government’s ‘Help to Heat’ capital schemes, domestic consumers could potentially save between £300 and £700 per annum, based on the current price cap. In the summer the Government launched a GOV.UK digital service (‘Find ways to save energy in your home’) providing impartial, tailored advice to homeowners on ways to improve the energy performance of their homes. This will be supported in the coming months by the launch of telephone advice and specific local area advice for energy consumers.

Solar Power

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to encourage people who have solar panels on their properties to sell their energy back to the National Grid.

Graham Stuart: The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) is a Government scheme that enables small-scale generators with eligible technologies on their properties, including solar panels, to receive payment for any electricity exported to the grid.

Nuclear Power and Renewable Energy: Finance

Chris Elmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the plans on support for renewables and nuclear in the British energy security strategy, published in April 2022, if he will publish a timescale for spending in these areas.

Graham Stuart: The Department has set out a timetable for delivering the Government’s ambitions for these technologies as part of the British Energy Security Strategy. This builds on the funding commitments set out in the 2021 Spending Review. Future departmental expenditure limits will be agreed with HM Treasury at the next Spending Review.

Fuel Oil: Government Assistance

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he will introduce further financial support packages on the cost of energy for people reliant on heating oil.

Graham Stuart: The Alternative Fuel Payment scheme will provide a £100 one-off payment to UK households that use alternative fuels for heating, such as heating oil or LPG, instead of mains gas. The £100 is designed by reference to past increases in the cost of heating oil (from September 2021 to September 2022). The Government will be monitoring the price of heating oil and other alternative fuels closely in the months ahead to see if further payments are required in future.

Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme: West Midlands

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much funding was allocated to organisations in the West Midlands as part of his Department's Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.

Graham Stuart: The total value of grants awarded to date through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme to public sector organisations in the West Midlands is £227,051,339.

Fireworks: Regulation

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he plans to legislate on the accessibility and sale of fireworks.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Government recognises that people want to enjoy fireworks, while reducing the risks and disturbances to individuals, animals and property. The Government has no current plans to legislate further but continues to monitor the situation.

Energy: Meters

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many households were switched to prepayment by their energy supplier (a) under warrant and (b) via smart meter in (i) 2019, (ii) 2020, (iii) 2021 and (d) 2022 to date.

Graham Stuart: The independent regulator Ofgem collects data on prepayment meters (PPM) and has provided this information. PPMs installed for debt on a warrant visit - Elec PPMs installed for debt on a warrant visit - Gas 2019 34,04733,050202011,2659,4852021 27,75421,798  Smart - Number remotely switched credit to PPM (debt or not debt) - ElecSmart - Number remotely switched credit to PPM (debt or not debt) - Gas201965,56536,194202056,48838,8992021108,012152,118Up to 30/06/202274,63749,426

Carbon Capture and Storage

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a requirement for statistics relating to carbon capture and storage to be published before Carbon Capture and Storage projects become operational.

Graham Stuart: The Government will publish information on projects that are recipients of government support before they become operational. For industrial and power capture projects, this may also include information submitted under supply chain reporting requirements. The Government is also developing a plan to monitor and evaluate statistics from emitters in the longer term.

Carbon Capture and Storage: North Sea

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of developing carbon capture storage facilities in the North Sea.

Graham Stuart: The UK has one of the largest offshore carbon dioxide storage potential of any country in the world. It is estimated that the UK Continental Shelf could safely store 78 billion tonnes of CO₂[1], the equivalent of 200 years of the UK’s annual CO₂ emissions. Unlocking this potential through the development of carbon dioxide transport and storage networks could generate strategic national assets. This market, according to government commissioned analysis, could be worth up to £54 billion by 2050[2]. [1]http://www.eti.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/D16-10113ETIS-WP6-Report-Publishable-Summary.pdf [2]Energy Innovation Needs Assessment: Carbon capture, utilisation, and storage. (October 2019). Commissioned by the Department for Business, Energy & Industry Strategy and lead by Vivid Economics. Report available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/845655/energy-innovation-needs-assessment-ccus.pdf

Carbon Capture and Storage

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress the Government has made on its plans for four industrial carbon capture and storage clusters by 2035.

Graham Stuart: The Government is committed to establishing Carbon Capture Usage and Storage (CCUS) in four industrial clusters by 2030. In November 2021, Hynet and the East Coast Cluster were announced as Track 1 CCUS clusters. In August 2022, Government took a significant step forward in the Cluster Sequencing process by announcing a shortlist of 20 projects. The Government is developing and refining the Track-2 process and is developing business models designed to address the commercial barriers that have previously had an impact on the development of CCUS in the UK.

Carbon Capture and Storage

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential merits for the UK of an international centralised reporting framework and quality control standards for carbon capture and storage statistics; and what assessment he has made of the potential merits of the UK managing and maintaining that system.

Graham Stuart: The UK Government does not own an international reporting system for Carbon Capture Usage and Storage (CCUS) and has not conducted an assessment to evaluate such a system. The Government is an active participant in the development of ISO Standards for Carbon dioxide capture, transportation, and geological storage through the BSI (British Standards Institution) committee on carbon capture, transport and storage. This alliance allows the UK to influence, and have direct input into, the development of international Carbon Capture and transportation standards. The Government also works through forums, such as the Clean Energy Ministerial to help the UK develop its CCUS industry.

Civil Service: EU Law

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment has been made of the potential use of the civil service working expression out of scope as a reference search mechanism for identifying EU-sourced red tape that was formerly listed as out of bounds for review but may now be open to deregulatory review or repeal.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: Following the retained EU law (REUL) substance review and published dashboard, there is an ongoing cross-Whitehall exercise to identify how to reform REUL. Where REUL contains a regulation that directly impacts business, we provisionally expect it to contribute to the REUL target. Before the sunset date, government departments and the devolved administrations will determine which REUL can be reformed to benefit the UK, which can expire, and which should be preserved in domestic law as assimilated law. They will also decide if some REUL should be codified, in order to preserve specific policy effects which are beneficial to keep.

Energy Bills Rebate: Park Homes

Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when park home owners can expect to receive the financial support provided by the Energy Bills Support Scheme.

Graham Stuart: As announced on 29 July, the EBSS Alternative Funding will be available to provide equivalent support of £400 for energy bills for the households who will not be reached through the EBSS. This includes those who do not have a domestic electricity meter or a direct relationship with an energy supplier, such as park home residents. The Government is working to make the support available to applicants as soon as possible and is working with a range of organisations, such as local authorities, Devolved Administrations and across the UK Government, to finalise the details of the Alternative Funding and have the process up and running for applications this winter.

Energy Intensive Industries: Taxation

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will review the impact of the carbon tax on high energy usage industries in the UK.

Graham Stuart: There is not an explicit carbon tax on high energy use industry. The UK Government and Devolved Administrations operate a carbon pricing scheme, the UK Emissions Trading Scheme. A consultation on developing this Scheme, including a review of the free allocation of carbon allowances within the scheme to support energy intensive industries (EIIs) was launched earlier this year. The Government and Devolved Administrations will respond to that consultation in due course. The Government is committed to securing a competitive future for its EIIs, providing them with extensive support, including over £2 billion to help with the costs of energy and to protect jobs.

Energy Intensive Industries: Prices

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to help support energy-intensive industries with rising energy costs.

Graham Stuart: The Government is determined to secure a competitive future for its energy intensive industries (EIIs), providing them with extensive support, including over £2 billion to help with the costs of energy and to protect jobs. The Energy Bill Relief Scheme was announced on 21 September 2022 to provide a discount on energy bills for all eligible non-domestic customers, including businesses, whose current gas and electricity prices have been significantly inflated in light of global energy prices. The scheme will initially run for 6 months covering energy use from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023.

Natural Gas and Oil: Licensing

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which new oil and gas fields will be issued with production licences in 2022.

Graham Stuart: Licensing is a matter for the North Sea Transition Authority which publishes all figures and statistics regarding licence awards for oil and gas exploration and development on its website. While the 33rd UK Offshore Licensing Round officially opened in October, awards for licences under this round will not be made until next year.

Flexible Working

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of placing a legal duty on employers to make information about flexible working accessible to their employees.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Government consulted on whether employers should be required to publish information about their flexible working policies in 2019. Having reviewed consultation responses from a range of stakeholders and taken account of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government decided not to take forward a legislative requirement. This conclusion was set out in “Making Flexible Working the Default”, which was published in September 2021.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Email

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what guidance his Department provides to Ministers on sending departmental information using personal email addresses; and whether his Department is taking steps to reissue guidance on that issue.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Cabinet Office has published guidance to departments on the use of private email that covers how information is held for the purposes of access to information, and how formal decisions are recorded for the official record. This guidance is being updated to reflect changes in technology and ways of working, and will be published by the Cabinet Office in due course. It is Government policy not to comment on individual Ministers’ security arrangements. Ministers receive support and expert advice to help them meet their obligations in the most appropriate and secure fashion. That includes regular security briefings for Ministers, and advice on protecting their personal data and mitigating cyber threats.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Email

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether any Minister in his Department has sent Departmental information from their personal email addresses since December 2019.

Kevin Hollinrake: There is a place for the use of a variety of digital channels in fast moving modern environments. Ministers will have informal conversations from time to time, in person or remotely, and relevant content from such discussions is passed back to officials. They will also use a variety of digital communications channels for personal, political and Parliamentary matters.

Cabinet Office

MyCPS: Complaints

Justin Madders: To ask the Minister of the Cabinet Office, how many complaints have been logged regarding poor service from MyCSP.

Jeremy Quin: In the last 12 calendar months (between 1 November 2021 and 31 October 2022), MyCSP have resolved 195 complaints relating to MyCSP’s service.During the same period, the Scheme Manager, Cabinet Office, logged 231 instances of a concern relating to MyCSP.

Cabinet Office: Ministerial Responsibility

Angela Rayner: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Statement by the Prime Minister on Machinery of Government of 11 October 2022, HCWS311, what civil service functions are being transferred to his Department from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on (a) devolution, (b) constitutional policy and (c) elections; and what responsibilities have been retained by the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on these policies.

Jeremy Quin: Following the formation of the new Government, the Secretary of State for the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities holds day to day responsibility for Union and Devolution in his capacity as Minister for Intergovernmental Relations.The responsibilities which the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities holds for elections policy continue to be held by the Secretary of State for the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. Constitution Policy is the responsibility of the Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster, with support from other Cabinet Office Ministers.

Ministers: Codes of Practice

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Prime Minister was provided with information on the adherence of the Rt. hon Member for Fareham to the Ministerial Code during her tenure as Secretary of State for the Home Department before her reappointment to that position.

Jeremy Quin: I refer the hon. Member to my answers of 26 October 2022, Official Report, Column 299-307.

Public Duty Costs Allowance

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing legislation to ensure that (a) former Prime Ministers and (b) former Ministers must have served a minimum of 12 months in post before becoming eligible to access the Public Duty Costs Allowance.

Jeremy Quin: Only former Prime Ministers are eligible to claim against the Public Duty Costs Allowance. The allowance assists former Prime Ministers who are still active in public life and payments are made only to reimburse incurred expenses, such as office and secretarial costs, arising from the fulfilment of public duties. The allowance has been frozen at an annual limit of £115,000 since 2011 and the Government has no current plans to change its eligibility requirements.

Independent Adviser on Ministers' Interests: Public Appointments

Angela Rayner: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November to Question 74702, when he plans to appoint a new Independent Adviser on Ministers' interests.

Jeremy Quin: The appointment of a new Independent Adviser is a matter for the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister has confirmed that he intends to appoint an Independent Adviser and that further details will be announced in due course.

Department of Health and Social Care

Suicide

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what meetings he has had with representatives from the Baton of Hope initiative on suicide prevention; and if he will make plans to meet with the organisation.

Maria Caulfield: While there have been no specific meetings, we will consider any formal request to meet representatives of the Baton of Hope.

Mental Health Services: Darlington

Peter Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve the waiting times for CAMHS Assessments in Darlington constituency.

Maria Caulfield: Integrated care boards are responsible for ensuring appropriate provision of services to meet the health and care needs of the local population. Through the NHS Long Term Plan, we are investing an additional £2.3 billion a year by 2023/24 to expand National Health Service mental health services to allow an additional 345,000 children and young people to access support, including in Darlington. In 2021/22, we provided an additional £79 million for approximately 22,500 children and young people to access community health services. The NHS Long Term Plan also stated the aim of increasing the mental health workforce in England by an additional 27,000 professionals by 2023/24. NHS England and Health Education England are working with local integrated care systems, including in Darlington, to confirm plans for service models, supply, retention and recruitment until 2024. Assessments for autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may also be received through child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). Following an investment of £13 million in 2021/22, we will provide £2.5 million in 2022/23 to test and embed improved autism diagnostic pathways.   NHS England is developing a national framework on how children, young people and adults should receive an autism diagnosis to improve the quality of these diagnostic processes and reduce waiting times.

Health Services: Females

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's policy paper entitled Women’s Health Strategy for England, published 20 July 2022, what discussions he has had with representatives of organisations involved in health and care decision making and service delivery on their ability to access to high quality data on women's (a) access to health services, (b) experiences of health services, and (c) health outcomes since the publication of that strategy.

Maria Caulfield: There have been no specific discussions.‘Data saves lives: reshaping health and social care with data’ was published in June 2022 and sets out plans to harness the potential of data in health and care, while maintaining the highest standards of privacy and ethics. This includes increasing public trust in how data in used in the National Health Service; creating the appropriate technical architecture; and establishing effective governance.

Gynaecology: Medical Treatments

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's policy paper entitled Women’s Health Strategy for England, published 20 July 2022, whether new NICE guidelines for gynaecological conditions have been developed since the publication of that strategy.

Maria Caulfield: The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has not published any new guidelines in this area since 20 July 2022. NICE has existing guidelines on gynaecological conditions and fertility, pregnancy, and childbirth and is developing new and updated guidelines on endometriosis; intrapartum care for healthy women and babies; menopause; ovarian cancer; fertility problems; and urinary tract infections. Additionally, NICE has published or is developing other guidance and quality standards in these areas.

Health Services: Females

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's policy paper entitled Women’s Health Strategy for England, published 20 July 2022, what discussions his Department has had with representatives of the digital health technology sector on opportunities to collaborate on innovation for women’s health issues since the publication that strategy.

Maria Caulfield: We are currently considering the approach to the implementation of the Women’s Health Strategy, including collaboration with stakeholders.

Integrated Care Boards: Dentistry

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of having dentists' representation on Integrated Care Boards.

Neil O'Brien: The Health and Care Act 2022 sets out the minimum membership requirement of the integrated care boards, which include representatives from National Health Service trusts, primary care and local authorities. However, by local agreement, these minimum requirements can be supplemented  in order to address local needs.

Health Services: Females

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's policy paper entitled Women’s Health Strategy for England, published 20 July 2022, what steps his Department has taken to increase the awareness of (a) menstrual health and (b) gynaecological conditions since the publication of that strategy.

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's policy paper entitled Women’s Health Strategy for England, published 20 July 2022, what steps his Department has taken to help women and girls to stay healthy throughout their lives since the publication of that strategy.

Maria Caulfield: We have appointed Professor Dame Lesley Regan as the Women’s Health Ambassador for England, who will raise awareness of women’s health issues. We are currently considering the approach to the implementation of the Women’s Health Strategy.

Coronavirus: Bereavement Counselling

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made for the implications of her policies of the review on covid-19 bereavement published by the UK Commission on Bereavement published on 6 October 2022; and what steps she is taking to improve emotional support for those who have suffered covid-19 bereavement.

Maria Caulfield: We are considering the report’s recommendations and have established a cross-Government working group to help assess how the Commission's work can inform policies in this area. The Government allocated more than £10.2 million to mental health charities, including bereavement support charities, for adults and children struggling with mental wellbeing due to the impact of COVID-19. The National Institute for Health and Care Research has also invited applications for a research project to investigate the barriers that prevent minority ethnicity groups from accessing bereavement services. We will continue to engage with the voluntary sector, including the UK Commission for Bereavement, to assess how we can provide further support to those who have been bereaved.

Suicide: Cost of Living

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government will take to prevent any increase in the level of suicides due to the cost of living crisis.

Maria Caulfield: The Government has published information on the support available to help with the cost of living, which includes income and disability benefits, bills and allowances, childcare, housing and travel. Earlier this year, we launched a call for evidence to inform cross-Government actions to support mental health, wellbeing and suicide prevention. We received over 5,000 submissions and are currently considering the responses. A summary of these responses further information on next steps will be available in due course.

Perinatal Mortality: Ilford North

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of trends in rates of perinatal mortality in Ilford North constituency.

Maria Caulfield: No specific assessment has been made. The Government’s national maternity safety ambition aims to halve the 2010 rates of stillbirths, neonatal and maternal deaths and brain injuries in babies occurring during or soon after birth, by 2025. Since 2010, the rate of stillbirths has reduced by 19.3%, the rate of neonatal mortality for babies born over 24 weeks gestational age of viability has reduced by 36% and maternal mortality has reduced by 17%.We have introduced targeted interventions to accelerate progress, such as the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle and the Brain Injury Reduction Programme. NHS England has also invested £127 million in National Health Service maternity workforce and improving neonatal care. This is in addition to the £95 million investment made in 2021 to fund the establishment of a further 1,200 midwifery and 100 consultant obstetrician posts. NHS England is offering funding and support to trusts to recruit an additional 300 to 500 overseas midwives in the next 12 months.

General Practitioners

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many GPs there are per 100,000 of patients in England.

Neil O'Brien: In September 2022, there were 44.5 full time equivalent fully qualified general practitioners per 100,000 registered patients in England.

Monkeypox: Vaccination

Simon Lightwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to procure 70,000 additional monkeypox vaccines.

Neil O'Brien: We have procured over 150,000 vaccine doses to date. The UK Health Security Agency’s expert advice, endorsed by Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, is to offer two vaccine doses to a defined high-risk cohort of 111,000 individuals in the United Kingdom. Since August 2022, the safe and clinically effective use of fractional dosing allows one vial of the vaccine to provide three doses. This ensures that we have sufficient doses to deliver the current vaccination strategy in full.

Coronavirus: Screening

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to reintroduce (a) universal free testing and (b) workplace testing for covid-19.

Neil O'Brien: The success of the COVID-19 vaccination and booster programme and the availability of antivirals has ensured a reduced risk of severe illness or hospitalisation. We have retained the capacity to reintroduce wider testing eligibility in the event of a serious surge in infections or variant of concern during the winter. While there are no current plans for the reintroduction of universal testing or widespread workplace testing, the Government continues to keep the response under review to ensure it remains effective and proportionate.

HIV Infection: Drugs

Peter Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the HIV Action Plan, what progress has been made towards the implementation of the dispensing of pre-exposure prophylaxis in community settings.

Neil O'Brien: We are developing a plan to improve access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in specific groups, including provision in settings outside of sexual and reproductive health services, such as community settings.We are currently gathering evidence to understand why groups which would benefit from PrEP are underrepresented and to identify potential barriers to access. The evidence will be considered by the PrEP Access and Equity Task and Finish group, recently established through the HIV Implementation Steering Group, which will inform the development of the plan.

Coronavirus and Influenza: Disease Control

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to protect the NHS from rises in the level of (a) covid-19 and (b) flu infections.

Neil O'Brien: The COVID-19 autumn booster programme aims to increase immunity in those at higher risk of severe illness during winter 2022/23. In line with advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, all those aged 50 years old and over, all frontline health and care workers, all residents and staff in care homes for older people, carers and those aged five years old and over who are either at higher clinical risk from COVID-19 or are household contacts of people with immunosuppression are offered a booster dose. We have expanded the flu vaccination programme to include all adults aged 50 to 64 years old and secondary school children in Years 7, 8 and 9.The National Health Service is also increasing bed capacity and staffing, maximising the use of virtual wards and is considering acute respiratory infection hubs to support same day assessment.

HIV Infection: Screening

Peter Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has he made of the potential merits of expanding the roll out of opt out HIV testing on a nationwide basis.

Neil O'Brien: No formal assessment has been made. However, NHS England has expanded opt-out HIV testing in accident and emergency departments in 21 local authority areas with the highest prevalence of HIV, supported by an investment of £20 million from 2022 to 2025.

Neurology: Health Services

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to co-ordinate  neurological services work across Integrated Care Systems.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help provide national leadership on neurological sciences in the context of changes to structures of Integrated Care Systems.

Helen Whately: The majority of people with neurological conditions are cared for through routine access to primary and secondary care. Integrated care boards (ICBs), which were established on 1 July 2022, are responsible for commissioning health services, including neurology and expenditure in its area. NHS England commissions the specialised elements of neurology care through 25 specialised neurological treatment centres in England for patients with more complex health needs. NHS England provides national leadership through the Neuroscience Transformation Programme.

Heart Diseases: Medical Treatments

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made on research and decision making which is assessing left ventricular assist devices as a long-term therapy for patients ineligible for transplantation.

Helen Whately: NHS England has concluded that there is currently insufficient evidence about the clinical and cost effectiveness of left ventricular assist devices as a permanent solution to heart failure. NHS England has commissioned the National Institute for Health and care Research to undertake a study to consider the evidence of this treatment and expects to consider the position later this year following the outcome.

NHS: Protective Clothing

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many units of personal protective equipment are currently in storage in warehouses; and what the cost to the public purse is of that storage.

Will Quince: As of 26 September 2022, there were 7.4 billion items of personal protective equipment (PPE) stored in warehouses in the United Kingdom. In 2022/23, these storage costs are an average of £2.2 million per week.

NHS: Protective Clothing

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the amount of unused PPE in hid Department's possession.

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to dispose of unused PPE in the Government's possession.

Will Quince: As of October 2022, the Department holds 13.2 billion items of personal protective equipment (PPE). We are maintaining sufficient supplies to respond to any future increases in demand. The Department is reducing excess stock, including through sales, repurposing, domestic and international donations and recycling. In addition, the Department is also resolving disputed contracts to enable the affected PPE to be used, replaced or refunded.

Protective Clothing: Storage

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many units of personal protective equipment are currently in storage in shipping containers; and what is the cost to the public purse of that storage.

Will Quince: The Department estimates that 3.95 billion units of personal protective equipment are currently stored in containers. The cost of this storage for the month of September 2022 was approximately £7.7 million.

NHS: Staff

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make NHS Workforce Statistics in England available by (a) body system and (b) clinical function.

Will Quince: NHS Digital publishes monthly workforce statistics for staff working in hospital trusts and integrated care boards in England. Each quarter this information is provided for staff by the main area of work and primary job role, which includes a guide to staff working in a range of clinical functions. The monthly data also reports information on doctors by medical speciality. This information is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-workforce-statistics

NHS England: Niche Health and Social Care Consulting

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much NHS England has spent on (a) fees and (b) any other costs with Niche Health and Social Care Consulting since 2019.

Will Quince: The following table shows expenditure by NHS England on fees and other costs with Niche Health and Social Care Consulting in each financial year since 2019/20. 2019/202020/212021/22Fees£855,000£1,647,000£1,917,000Other£410,000£333,000£27,000Total£1,265,000£1,980,000£1,944,000Source: NHS England

Medical Records: Databases

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of NHS trusts do not have electronic patient records in England as of 11 October 2022.

Will Quince: There are currently 30 of 211 or 14% of National Health Service secondary care trusts in England without electronic patient records (EPRs). Of these trusts, eight are implementing these records, six are undertaking a procurement and 16 are in definition and business case approvals stages. By December 2023, 90% of NHS trusts should have an EPR in place.

Department of Health and Social Care: Departmental Responsibilities

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when she plans to publish the ministerial responsibilities for Ministers in her Department.

Will Quince: Ministerial responsibilities have been published.

Protective Clothing

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of personal protective equipment stockpiles in the UK.

Will Quince: The Department is committed to providing COVID-19 personal protective equipment free of charge until the end of March 2023. We hold sufficient stocks to meet projected demand in all categories and in case of further waves of COVID-19.

Protective Clothing: Contracts

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress her Department has made on recovering public funds from personal protective equipment (PPE) suppliers that delivered faulty PPE to public bodies.

Will Quince: At the end of March 2022, the Department was resolving disputes for 176 contracts with an aggregate value at risk of £2.6 billion. Information for the first quarter of 2022/23 will be available shortly.

Protective Clothing: Waste Disposal

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what future plans she has to dispose of government-procured faulty personal protective equipment.

Will Quince: The Department follows the Government’s waste hierarchy when disposing of personal protective equipment which cannot be used, donated or sold, prioritising recycling followed energy from waste for stock which cannot be recycled.

Protective Clothing: Procurement

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much personal protective equipment has been procured by the Government under emergency procurement procedures in the last 6 months.

Will Quince: The Department has not procured any personal protective equipment under emergency procurement procedures in the last six months.

Department of Health and Social Care: Taxis

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much her Department spent on taxi cabs for (a) ministers and (b) civil servants in each of the last three years.

Will Quince: The following table shows expenditure on taxis for Ministers and civil servants in each year since 2020. The information on Ministerial travel in 2022 refers to the period to 31 July.  MinistersCivil servants2020£182.81£11,779.532021Nil£5,619.842022£18.30£7,674.80

Protective Clothing: Storage

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many civil servants in his Department are employed to manage the storage of Personal Protective Equipment overseas.

Will Quince: Three full-time equivalent (FTE) staff are employed at the SCS1 pay band and 0.5 FTE at SCS2 for all storage, including overseas.

NHS: Finance

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Chancellor's statement of 17 October 2022 on potential reductions to civil service budgets, what steps she will take to ensure that her Plan for Patients is adequately funded.

Will Quince: ‘Our plan for patients’ will be funded by the settlement at the last Spending Review, which increases the National Health Service resource budget in England to £162.6 billion in 2024/25, from £123.7 billion in 2019/20.

Department of Health and Social Care: Protective Clothing

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 20 June 2022 to Question 18920, on Department of Health and Social Care: Protective Clothing, when her Department began employing three full-time equivalent staff at the SCS1 pay band and 0.5 full-time equivalent staff at SCS2 to oversee the storage of personal protective equipment; and whether the same number of staff are currently employed for that purpose.

Will Quince: These staff were employed from 1 October 2021 and are currently employed for this purpose.

NHS: ICT

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 21 April 2022 to Question 151099 on Health Services: ICT, which providers of digital services used by NHS organisations to deliver patient-facing services are Digital Technology Assessment Criteria (DTAC) compliant.

Will Quince: The NHS Digital Health Technology Standards Audit asks National Health Service organisations to provide details of all digital health technologies deployed by the organisation and whether the technology has been assessed against all or parts of the Digital Technology Assessment Criteria. The audit is open until 25 November 2022.

Protective Clothing: Storage

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many units of Personal Protective Equipment purchased by the UK are stored in China.

Will Quince: As of 26 September 2022, there was an approximately 589 million items of personal protective equipment stored in China. The majority of this stock is suitable for use in health and social care settings.

Medical Records: Disclosure of Information

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the practice of limiting the access of patients’ health records between the National Health Services of the devolved Administrations.

Will Quince: ‘Data saves lives: reshaping health and social care with data’ sets out the importance of a United Kingdom-wide data focus to ensure the public have confidence in the health and care system. Legal routes are available to allow the sharing of health data in the UK to support individual care and to improve health outcomes. We are working with the devolved administrations to ensure that health and care data can be accessed safely and effectively.

Protective Clothing: Storage

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much the public purse has paid for storage for unusable Government procured Personal Protective Equipment.

Will Quince: This information is not held in the format requested. While the Department collects information on storage costs in United Kingdom warehouses, in China, in containers, supplier storage and location, the cost of storing specific categories of stock has not been centrally validated.

NHS: Protective Clothing

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant of the Answer of 24 October 2022 to Question 61010 on Protective Clothing: Contracts, how many people working on PPE-related contractual disputes are (a) direct employees of her Department, (b) contracted from consultancy firms and (c) on secondment from other Government departments.

Will Quince: There are no employees within the Contract Dissolution Team under direct employment, contracted through consultancy firms or on secondment from other Government departments.

Protective Clothing: Storage

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much government procured faulty personal protective equipment is currently in storage.

Will Quince: As of 26 September 2022, the Department currently has 1.12 billion items of personal protective equipment considered not fit for use in storage.

NHS: Protective Clothing

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 24 October 2022 to Question 61011 on Protective Clothing: Contracts, what estimate she has made of the total cost to her Department of (a) management fees and (b) legal fees associated with the disputed contracts as of 24 October 2022.

Will Quince: The Department has not incurred management fees for disputed contracts. While an estimate of the total cost of legal fees is not currently held, we will finalise a forecast for these costs later this year.

NHS: Vacancies

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will publish the number of NHS vacancies in England by (a) body system and (b) clinical function.

Will Quince: The Department has no plans to publish vacancies in the format requested.

Cancer: Waiting Lists

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many diagnostic appointments for cancer tests or scans have been cancelled as a result of staffing shortages in the NHS in each of the last 12 months.

Will Quince: This information is not collected in the format requested.

NHS: Greater London

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS vacancies there are in London (a) in total and (b) by (i) NHS Trust and (ii) clinical commissioning group.

Will Quince: There are 30,506 full-time equivalent vacancies within National Health Service trusts in London. While data on vacancies by trust and clinical commissioning group is collected by NHS England, it is not centrally validated.

Health Services and Social Services: Reform

Liz Twist: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she is taking steps to mitigate the potential costs of regulatory reform to the health and care sector.

Will Quince: Reforms to professional regulation is not expected to add costs to the health and care sector. The current model of regulation for healthcare professionals will be reformed to provide further protection for patients, support health services and allow the workforce meet future challenges.

Hospitals: Disease Control

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Cabinet Office on the proposed new NHS guidelines and standards for ultraviolet air cleaners.

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether proposed new NHS guidelines and standards for ultraviolet air cleaners will test and validate their use of UVC technology using BS ISO 15714:2019.

Will Quince: There have been no specific discussions. NHS England is developing new guidance in relation to the use of ultraviolet air cleaners in the National Health Service. This guidance is being developed to ensure consistency with other applicable guidance, including ‘ISO 15714:2019 Method of evaluating the UV dose to airborne microorganisms transiting in-duct ultraviolet germicidal irradiation devices’.

NHS: Biofuels

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the potential role of sustainable hydrotreated vegetable oil diesel in assisting the NHS to achieve its net zero targets.

Will Quince: No specific assessment has been made. The National Health Service assesses the viability of new technologies to reduce costs and environmental impact in line with ‘Delivering a ‘Net Zero’ National Health Service’.

Public Health: Standards

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the UK’s public health standards are protected in the context of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill.

Will Quince: The Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill will enable the government to realise the benefits of Brexit by adopting a regulatory approach which best meets the UK’s interests. The Government is currently reviewing how best to use the powers provided by the Retained EU Law Bill, including which pieces of retained EU law should be repealed, reformed or preserved. Any reforms will not come at the expense of the UK’s already high standards. Maintaining patient safety and public health will remain paramount when reforming retained EU law and the government will continue to work with a wide range of organisations and stakeholders to ensure the best possible outcome.

Hospitals: Energy

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many hospitals have been retro-fitted to improve energy efficiency since 2019.

Will Quince: This information is not held in the format requested. However, since 2019 all National Health Service trusts have produced three-year plans to increase energy efficiency and reduce energy usage to support the commitment to achieve net zero for NHS energy emissions by 2040. In 2020/21, 123 trusts were undertaking or had completed at least one building energy efficiency scheme.

Hospitals: Heating

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate she has made of the number of electric heaters bought for use in hospitals since 2019.

Will Quince: No specific estimate has been made as this information is not collected centrally.

Department of Health and Social Care: Location

Florence Eshalomi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what payments were made to civil servants in her Department for relocation costs to government offices outside London in 2021.

Will Quince: No such payments were made.

NHS: Finance

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of rising inflation on spending commitments within NHS Long Term Plan.

Will Quince: The government has and will continue to prioritise investment into the NHS.Funding confirmed at the last Spending Review, on top of the historic long-term NHS settlement announced in 2018, means the NHS resource budget in England will increase to £162.6 billion in 2024-25, up from £123.7 billion in 2019-20.With the announcement of the government’s Energy Bill Relief Scheme, and the release of £1.5 billion additional funding by NHS England to NHS systems in 2022-23, NHS organisations have been protected from the immediate impact of inflation.The forthcoming Autumn Statement will set out the Government’s approach to public finances for future years. We will continue to work with NHS England to agree a budget and commitments for next year following the Statement.

Medical Equipment: Auctions

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding his Department has allocated to pay Ramco UK Ltd. in the 2022-23 financial year to run online auctions of surplus equipment and supplies purchased by his Department in response to the outbreak of covid-19; and how much his Department has recovered from the proceeds of those auctions in the 2022-23 financial year.

Will Quince: The Department has a contract with Ramco UK to conduct online auctions to sell surplus equipment and supplies procured during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have not allocated any funding to pay Ramco UK as the company is paid a commission from successful sales.The Department anticipates a total net revenue of over £400,000 through the e-auction pilot between April and September 2022. The pilot is due to conclude in December 2022.

Department of Health and Social Care: Electronic Messaging

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the previous Minister for Care shared, sent or received information relating to her Ministerial duties using a personal (a) device, (b) email address and (c) mobile phone number.

Will Quince: The Cabinet Office has published guidance to Departments on the use of private email covering how information is held for the purposes of access to information and how formal decisions are recorded for the official record. Departmental Ministers are aware of the guidance and Government business is conducted in line with this. Ministers will have informal conversations from time to time, in person or remotely and relevant content from such discussions is passed back to officials.

Surgery: Portsmouth South

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce waiting times for elective surgeries in Portsmouth South constituency.

Will Quince: The ‘Delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care’ sets out how the National Health Service will recover and expand elective services over the next three years, including in Portsmouth South. We have allocated more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25, in addition to the £2 billion Elective Recovery Fund and £700 million Targeted Investment Fund already made available in 2021/2022 to increase elective activity. This funding aims to deliver the equivalent of approximately nine million additional checks and procedures and 30% further elective activity by 2024/25 than pre-pandemic levels. A proportion of this funding will be invested in workforce capacity and training and we have committed to invest £5.9 billion for new beds, equipment and technology. The target to eliminate waiting times of two years or more for elective procedures was met in July 2022 and we aim to eliminate waiting time of eighteen months or more by April 2023. This will be achieved through increasing capacity, seeking alternate capacity in other trusts or the independent sector and engaging with patients to understand choices made regarding their care.

Health Services: Females

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's policy paper entitled Women’s Health Strategy for England, published 20 July 2022, what steps his Department has taken to improve access to menstrual health care since the publication of that strategy.

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to tackle disparities in (a) access to care and (b) experiences of care of gynaecological procedures.

Maria Caulfield: The Women’s Health Strategy encourages the expansion of women’s health hubs to improve women’s access to and experiences of care, including for menstrual problems and gynaecological conditions. We are currently considering the approach to the implementation of the Women’s Health Strategy.Gynaecology is also one of six specialties prioritised through NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) high volume low complexity programme, which supports the establishment of surgical hubs for high-volume procedures and the development of standardised patient pathways. GIRFT aims to provide more choice for the 767,000 women admitted to hospital for a gynaecology procedure annually and those attending more than 3.6 million outpatient appointments. It also includes innovative ideas for transforming the outpatient experience and reducing the amount of time women spend in hospital.

Infant Mortality

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of (a) financial, (b) bereavement and (c) other support available to (i) mothers and (ii) fathers suffering baby loss.

Maria Caulfield: The Women’s Health Strategy set out a 10-year ambition to improve the care pathways for women and their partners who experience pregnancy loss. The Department continues to work across Government and the voluntary sector to consider how workplace support for women and partners can be improved. In 2022/23, NHS England has provided £2.26 million to expand the number of staff trained in bereavement care and is deploying a National Bereavement Care Pathway to reduce the variation in the quality of bereavement care. In addition, we are addressing access to and quality of perinatal mental health care for mothers and their partners through expanding mental health hubs and introducing pregnancy loss certificates.

Endometriosis: Health Services

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of endometriosis care in England; and what steps his Department plans to take to improve care for women and girls with severe endometriosis.

Maria Caulfield: Gynaecological conditions, including endometriosis, are a priority in the Women’s Health Strategy and we are currently considering priorities for its implementation.NHS England is reviewing the service specification for severe endometriosis, including care pathways for thoracic endometriosis and expects to report on the outcome in 2023. This will ensure that specialist endometriosis services have access to the most recent evidence and advice and improve standards of care for women with severe endometriosis.

Health Services: Females

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's policy paper entitled Women’s Health Strategy for England, published 20 July 2022, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that digital health technologies are accessible to women.

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's policy paper entitled Women’s Health Strategy for England, published 20 July 2022, what steps his Department has taken to encourage the greater use of digital health technologies by women since the publication of that strategy.

Maria Caulfield: To ensure more digital health technologies are accessible to women, the Department is working with NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to reform the market pathway and accelerate access to products proven to be clinically safe and effective.NICE is piloting a new rapid assessment based on clinical effectiveness and value for money, which will ensure the most effective products are accessible for all patients, including women. It will include commercial support for innovators and adoption support for National Health Service organisations.

Health Services: Females

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's policy paper entitled Women’s Health Strategy for England, published 20 July 2022, what steps his Department has taken to use of data on women's health to improve women’s health outcomes since the publication of that strategy.

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's policy paper entitled Women’s Health Strategy for England, published 20 July 2022, what steps his Department has taken to reduce sex-based data gaps since the publication of that strategy.

Maria Caulfield: We are currently considering the approach to the implementation of the Women’s Health Strategy. The Strategy commits to commission a reproductive health experience survey every two years to improve data collection in this area. The Department is commissioning an external organisation to deliver the inaugural survey in 2023.

Autism and Learning Disability: Training

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department has taken to trail and develop the Oliver McGowan mandatory training in learning disability and autism in the NHS.

Maria Caulfield: The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism was trialled in England during 2021 with over 8,000 people, in partnership with Health Education England and Skills for Care. An evaluation of the trial was published in June 2022 and outcomes of the evaluation have informed the next steps for the programme. We expect that this training will become available for National Health Service staff later this year.

Ambulance Services: Standards

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many ambulance services were at Level 4 in the Resource Escalation Action Plan in England as of 3 November 2022.

Will Quince: All ambulance trusts in England were operating at Resource Escalation Action Plan (REAP) Level 4 on 3 November 20222. The decision on which REAP level to implement is taken locally by National Health Service ambulance trusts.

Cystic Fibrosis: Health Services

Liz Twist: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the findings of the report from the Cystic Fibrosis Trust on UK Cystic Fibrosis Service Resourcing 2019 to 2021, published on in June 2022, whether the Government is taking steps to ensure cystic fibrosis centres have fully staffed Multi-Disciplinary Teams, including cystic fibrosis specialist social workers and clinical psychologists.

Will Quince: England’s adult and paediatric cystic fibrosis service specification sets out national standards for cystic fibrosis services, including the importance of multi-disciplinary teams involving clinical psychologists and social workers. There are regular discussions between regional commissioning teams and providers, which include reviewing compliance with service standards and service quality issues in the services commissioned.Service specifications are contractual documents between commissioners and providers. However, it does not mandate the number of staff in a multi-disciplinary team, as that is determined by the local trust according to the size of the service and the needs of the patient population. There are no plans to review staffing levels in cystic fibrosis multi-disciplinary teams.

Hospitals: Standards

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to publish on a monthly basis the number of patients waiting 12 hours or more from their time of arrival at hospital.

Will Quince: Data on the proportion of patients spending more than 12 hours in an emergency department is available for operational use by trusts to understand patient flows through emergency departments. The objectives in the ‘2022/23 priorities and operational planning guidance’ include reducing 12 hour waiting times and remains in place. The data is published annually by NHS Digital and NHS England is considering arrangements for further publication of this data.

Endometriosis

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) gynaecology specialist nurses with expertise in endometriosis and (b) gynaecologists with expertise in (i) diagnosing and managing endometriosis and (ii) training and skills in laparoscopic surgery were working in the NHS as of 2 November 2022.

Will Quince: The information requested is not held centrally.

Department of Health and Social Care: Debts Written Off

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much public money was written off by his Department in the 2021-22 financial year.

Will Quince: The information requested will be included in the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts for 2021/22, which is expected to be published in December 2022.

NHS: Finance

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of increase in funding would be required to increase NHS funding by 29 per cent from 2018 to 2023.

Will Quince: The National Health Service revenue budget in 2018/19 was £114.421 billion and will be £157.403 billion in 2023/24. This represents an increase of 37.6%.

Department of Health and Social Care: Email

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether Ministers in his Department forwarded official documents from their Government emails to their personal email addresses from 24 July 2019 to 25 October 2022.

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he forwarded any official documents from his government emails to his personal email address from 5 July 2022 to 6 September 2022.

Will Quince: Departmental Ministers are aware of Cabinet Office guidance on the use of personal emails and private communication channels and Government business is conducted in line with this guidance. The Information Commissioner’s Office report of July 2022 into the Department’s use of private communications channels found no evidence of unlawful behaviour by Departmental Ministers or officials between March 2020 and July 2021. The Information Commissioner also concluded that the use of private channels secured operational benefits at a time in which the United Kingdom faced exceptional pressures throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

NHS: Finance

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress the Government is making towards achieving the target it set in 2018 to increase the NHS budget by £33.9 billion a year, in cash terms, by 2023-24.

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government's commitment to an additional £39 billion of funding for the NHS over three years, announced in April 2022, is additional to, or part of, its 2018 pledge to increase the NHS budget by £33.9 billion a year, in cash terms, by 2023-24.

Will Quince: The NHS Long Term Plan set the target of increasing the National Health Service resource budget by £33.9 billion by 2023/24 to a total of £148.5 billion. The additional financial support provided to the NHS for the temporary impacts of COVID-19 have seen the NHS budget exceed £149 billion since 2020/21. Funding confirmed at the Spending Review and the long term settlement in 2018 have ensured the NHS resource budget in England will increase to £157.4 billion in 2023/24 and reach £162.6 billion in 2024/25.The Government’s commitment to an additional £39 billion for the NHS and social care over three years announced in April 2022 is additional to the 2018 pledge.

Cancer: Health Services

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish the 10 Year Cancer Plan for England.

Helen Whately: Following the call for evidence for a 10-year cancer plan, we more than 5,000 submissions. We are currently reviewing these responses.

Care Homes: City of Durham

Mary Kelly Foy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of care homes were rated as good by the Care Quality Commission in City of Durham constituency as of 1 November 2022.

Helen Whately: As of 1 November 2022, 13 or 86.7% of care homes in the City of Durham constituency are currently rated by the Care Quality Commission as ‘good’ overall.

Eating Disorders: City of Durham

Mary Kelly Foy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has taken recent steps to help support young people with eating disorders in City of Durham constituency.

Maria Caulfield: In September we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which outlines how we will increase access to National Health Service mental health and eating disorder services, including in Durham. Ensuring easier access to general practice will expand this route to access mental health services.Through the NHS Long Term Plan, we are investing an additional £2.3 billion a year by 2023/24 to expand NHS mental health and eating disorder services for adults, children and young people in England, including in Durham. We will invest approximately £1 billion in community mental health care for adults with severe mental illness, including eating disorders, by 2023/24 and an additional £53 million per year in children and young people's community eating disorder services to increase capacity in the 70 community eating disorder teams.

Social Services: Portsmouth South

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of social care capacity in Portsmouth South constituency.

Helen Whately: No specific assessment has been made.

Care Homes: Portsmouth South

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of residential care homes that have closed in Portsmouth South constituency since 2011.

Helen Whately: Since 1 January 2011, 16 residential care homes in the Portsmouth South constituency have been ‘deactivated’. The Care Quality Commission records care homes which have closed as ‘deactivated’. The ‘deactivated’ locations exclude care homes where the provider continues to operate under a new, separate registration. This could be due to a legal entity change or a change in the provider.

General Practitioners: Portsmouth South

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will take steps to increase the availability of face-to-face GP appointments in Portsmouth South constituency.

Neil O'Brien: On 22 September 2022, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which contains measures to assist people make an informed choice on their general practitioner (GP) practice, book an appointment more easily, benefit from more care options and increase the diversity of general practice teams. This aims to increase the availability of appointment types, such as face-to-face, in England, including in Portsmouth South. NHS England’s guidance states that GP practices must provide face to face appointments and remote consultations and should respect preferences for face-to-face care unless there are good clinical reasons to the contrary.  While remote consultations can provide additional choice, flexibility and convenience for patients, this is not suitable for all patients or in all circumstances.

Life Expectancy: Ilford North

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of trends in the level of life expectancy in Ilford North constituency.

Neil O'Brien: No specific assessment has been made.

General Practitioners: Portsmouth South

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has provided additional (a) financial and (b) other support to help tackle (i) patient backlogs and (ii) increased workloads in GP surgeries in Portsmouth South constituency.

Neil O'Brien: The ‘Delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care’, published in February 2022, stated the ambition to reduce patient backlogs for planned National Health Service treatments and the Government plans to spend more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25. We made £520 million available to expand general practice capacity during the pandemic. This was in addition to at least £1.5 billion announced in 2020 by 2024 which includes supporting increased workloads in general practitioner (GP) surgeries, including in Portsmouth South. In September 2022, ‘Our plan for patients’ announced measures to support GP practices increase access and manage workloads, such as the provision of 31,000 phone lines and funding to expand the staff roles working in general practice, including in Portsmouth South.

General Practitioners: Ilford North

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of GPs in Ilford North constituency.

Neil O'Brien: We are working with NHS England, Health Education England and the profession to increase the general practice workforce in England, including in Ilford North. This includes measures to improve recruitment, address the reasons why doctors leave the profession and encourage them to return to practice.The updated GP Contract Framework announced a number of new schemes, alongside continued support for existing recruitment and retention schemes for the general practice workforce. This includes the GP Retention Scheme, the GP Retention Fund, the National GP Induction and Refresher, the Locum Support Scheme, the New to Partnership Payment and the Supporting Mentors Scheme.

Strokes: Employment

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help support stroke patients back into employment after they have recovered.

Helen Whately: Work coach support in Jobcentres for people with health conditions receiving Universal Credit or Employment Support Allowance has been increased and disability employment advisers offer advice and expertise on assisting disabled people and people with health conditions into work.

Department for Education

Students: Loans

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential effect on students of the 2.3% rise in maintenance loans in the context of rising levels of inflation.

Robert Halfon: Decisions on student support are taken on an annual basis.The government recognises the additional cost of living pressures that have arisen and impacted students this year. Many higher education providers have hardship funds that students can apply to for assistance.There is £261 million of student premium funding available this academic year to support disadvantaged students who need additional help.The department has continued to increase living costs support with a 2.3% increase for maximum loans, grants for living, and other costs for the 2022/23 academic year. Students who have been awarded a loan for living costs for the 2022/23 academic year that is lower than the maximum, and whose household income for the 2022/23 financial year has dropped by at least 15% compared to the income provided for their original assessment, can apply for their entitlement to be reassessed.

Universities: Freedom of Expression

Mr Jonathan Lord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to protect freedom of speech in universities.

Claire Coutinho: This government is committed to the protection of freedom of speech and academic freedom in universities. The Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill will strengthen existing freedom of speech duties and introduce clear consequences for breaches, as well as introducing a duty on universities and colleges to promote the importance of freedom of speech and academic freedom.

Unemployment: Children

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps his Department has taken to help reduce the number of 16 and 17 year olds who are not in education, employment or training.

Robert Halfon: The department monitors young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) data and liaises with local authorities regarding their duty to track and support young people who are, or are at risk of becoming, NEET.The department is working with local authorities to support the use of data tools to identify young people at an increased risk of becoming NEET, based on characteristics such as a learning difficulty, disability, or poor school attendance so they can be given extra support.Funding is provided for a range of support for young people to help minimise time spent NEET, such as the support provided by Youth Hubs.The department also works with the youth sector to gain further insight into the issues and barriers faced by young people.We have introduced a range of skills reforms, outlined in the Skills for Jobs White Paper in January 2021, which set out the department’s blueprint to reform post-16 education and training to support young people to get the skills they need to succeed throughout their lives, wherever they live in the country. The Paper is focused on giving people the skills they need now and in the future, in a way that suits them. This is why the department is investing £3.8 billion in further education and skills to ensure young people can access high-quality training and education that leads to good jobs, addresses current and future skills gaps, boosts productivity, and supports levelling up.This investment will support the department’s aim to ensure that every young person has an opportunity to gain high-quality, hands-on training to start and progress in work and get them on the ladder of opportunity. Providers can also make better decisions around what courses they offer and focus on delivering the skills needed for a thriving and productive economy and society, with a particular emphasis on levelling up.The department has been undertaking a series of reviews at level 3, level 2 and below, of academic and technical qualifications. These reviews will ensure that every funded qualification has a clear purpose, is high-quality, and will lead to good outcomes for students.The department is investing approximately £100 million in the 2022/23 financial year to help young people and adults to get high-quality careers provision. Through the Skills and Post-16 Education Act 2022, we are strengthening the law so that all pupils have the opportunity for six encounters with providers of approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships, as they progress through school years 8 to 13.The department has introduced T Levels, boosting access to high-quality technical education for thousands of 16 to 19-year-olds. Young people are now benefitting from these pioneering new qualifications, designed by employers to ensure students get the skills they need for great jobs. We have also introduced the T Level Transition Programme, for students who would benefit from additional study time and preparation before starting their T Level.Apprenticeships provide an excellent career pathway for young people to gain the skills and experience they need to start climbing the career ladder. The department provides £1,000 to both employers and training providers when they take on apprentices aged between 16 and 18-years-old. To support young people in accessing apprenticeships, the department is promoting apprenticeships in schools and colleges through the Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge programme.In January, the department launched the Get the Jump campaign to help young people aged 14-19 to understand their education and training choices, how they compare, and where these choices can lead. Details of the campaign are available at: https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/explore-your-education-and-training-choices.

Students: Housing

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to mandate higher education institutions and local authorities to work together to ensure appropriate provisions are in place to house the numbers of students that universities are admitting.

Robert Halfon: Neither the Department for Education nor the Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities have made such an assessment. It is for local areas, through their Local Plans, and in response to local needs and concerns, to determine the level of student accommodation required in their area.Universities and private accommodation providers are autonomous. The department plays no direct role in the provision of student residential accommodation, whether the accommodation is managed by universities or private sector organisations.

Students: Loans

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if the Government will review student maintenance loan household income thresholds and outline a plan update those thresholds to reflect the real terms value compared with 2008.

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Government plans to introduce an emergency cost of living provision to the student maintenance loan; and what plans the Government has to review the maintenance loan increase in future years to ensure that it reflects rising inflation.

Robert Halfon: Decisions on student support are taken on an annual basis. The department has continued to increase living costs support with a 2.3% increase for maximum loans and grants for living and other costs for the current academic year, 2022/23. Students who have been awarded a loan for living costs for the 2022/23 academic year that is lower than the maximum, and whose household income for the tax year 2022/23 has dropped by at least 15% compared to the income provided for their original assessment, can apply for their entitlement to be reassessed.In addition, maximum tuition fees and the subsidised loans available from the department to pay them, remain at £9,250 for the 2022/23 academic year in respect of standard full-time courses.The department is also freezing maximum tuition fees for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years. By 2024/25, maximum fees will have been frozen for seven years. As well as reducing debt levels for students, the continued fee freeze will help to ensure that the Higher Education (HE) system remains sustainable while also promoting greater efficiency at providers.The department is reviewing options for uprating maximum loans and grants for the 2023/24 academic year, and an announcement will follow in the Autumn. We need to ensure the HE student finance system remains financially sustainable and the costs of HE are shared fairly between students and taxpayers, not all of whom have benefited from going to university. At a time of tight fiscal restrictions, we will need to consider spending on student finance alongside other priorities.

Students: Finance

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department plans to increase the level of hardships funds for students.

Robert Halfon: The department recognises the additional cost of living pressures that have arisen this year and that have impacted students. Many higher education providers have hardship funds that students can apply to for assistance.There is £261 million of student premium funding available this academic year to support disadvantaged students who need additional help. The department has worked with the Office for Students (OfS) to ensure that universities support students in hardship using both hardship funds and the student premium.In addition, all households will save on their energy bills through the Energy Price Guarantee and the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme discount. Students who buy their energy from a domestic supplier are eligible for the energy bills discount. The Energy Prices Bill introduced on 12 October 2022 includes the provision to require landlords to pass benefits they receive from energy price support, as appropriate, onto end users. Further details of the requirements under this legislation will be set out in regulations. A Treasury-led review will be launched to consider how to support households and businesses with energy bills after April 2023.As part of the package of support for rising energy bills, the government is also giving a council tax rebate payment of £150 to households that were living in a property in council tax bands A to D as their main home on 1 April 2022. This includes full-time students that do not live in student halls or in property that is not considered a House in Multiple Occupation for council tax purposes.

Childcare: Portsmouth South

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of childcare provision in Portsmouth South constituency.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made a recent assessment of the affordability of childcare provision in Portsmouth South constituency.

Claire Coutinho: Officials from the department discuss sufficiency of provision in regular conversations with local authorities. Under Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006, local authorities are responsible for ensuring sufficient childcare places in their area. Portsmouth local authority has reported that there is currently sufficient provision. We will continue to work with local authorities and offer support where possible to ensure they are able to meet this duty.The department is committed to improving the cost, choice, and availability of childcare. We continue to look at ways to make childcare more affordable and to encourage families to use government-funded support they are entitled to. The department collects data on the main characteristics of childcare and early years provision in England and fees data can be broken down to local authority level. The latest data shows the average hourly fee band for childcare in Portsmouth to be £5.00 for two-year-old children and £5.00 for three and four-year-old children.

Universities: Complaints

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with the Office for Students to encourage more timely responses to Notifications.

Robert Halfon: Notifications are important parts of how the Office for Students (OfS) regulates providers. If students, staff, or members of the public feel that a university or college is not meeting these requirements, they can submit a notification to the OfS.However, a notification is different from a complaint. A notification informs the OfS, as the regulator, about concerns or issues individuals have about a registered provider. The OfS carefully considers all notifications received where a concern is raised that a provider is not meeting, or is at risk of breaching, regulatory requirements. It may consider a notification, alongside any other information, to decide whether it needs to intervene and use its regulatory powers.The OfS recently published new operational measures which report on the performance of their core regulatory activity. The OfS website outlines that since 1 January 2021, the OfS have received around 60 notifications each quarter. For most quarters OfS resolved a similar number of cases, resulting in few unresolved cases.As of the end of quarter 2 of 2022, the maximum length of time the OfS would expect to take to resolve a new notification was 96 days, with the current mean average to respond to notifications in this quarter being 26 days.

Childcare: Portsmouth South

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate of the number of (a) nurseries and (b) other early years childcare settings that have closed in Portsmouth South constituency in the last five years.

Claire Coutinho: This is a matter for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. I have asked her to write to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Free School Meals: Merseyside

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many pupils in (a) St Helens and (b) Merseyside are eligible for free school meals; and what the national average is.

Nick Gibb: The number of pupils eligible for free school meals (FSM) in each local authority in Merseyside, and the national total, are published at the following link: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/3786b748-23e3-4fad-9e99-08dabce49219.Figures published in June 2022 show that, in total, there were 63,273 pupils in Merseyside eligible for FSM, which equates to 29.2% of all pupils.In St Helens, one of the five local authorities within Merseyside, 6,877 pupils were eligible for FSM, which equates to 25.2%.Across England 22.5% of pupils were eligible for FSM.

Further Education: Portsmouth

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps her Department has taken to help reduce the backlog in carrying out repairs to further education colleges in Portsmouth.

Robert Halfon: The Further Education Capital Transformation Programme is delivering the £1.5 billion manifesto commitment to upgrade further education (FE) college estates.Through this programme, £200 million was allocated to all FE colleges and designated institutions to undertake immediate condition improvement of their estates. Highbury College, now part of the City of Portsmouth College, received an allocation of £617,678 of capital funding to improve its estate in August 2020. College groups were able to prioritise how and at which sites to use this funding to tackle immediate condition improvement projects.The next stage of the programme of investment to upgrade the FE estate will be announced in due course.

Schools: Portsmouth South

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate of the capital cost of tackling the backlog of school repairs in Portsmouth South constituency.

Nick Gibb: The Department is preparing detailed analysis of the data collected for the Condition Data Collection (CDC) programme and plan to publish by the end of 2022.The key, high-level findings of the CDC programme, were published in May 2021 and can be accessed here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/989912/Condition_of_School_Buildings_Survey_CDC1_-_key_findings_report.pdf.

Higher Education: British National (Overseas)

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of British National (Overseas) visa holders currently in UK higher education.

Robert Halfon: Information on British National (overseas) visa holders in UK higher education is not held by the Department.The Higher Education Statistics Agency collects and publishes statistics on enrolments and qualifications obtained at UK Higher Education Providers on behalf of the UK government. However, visa status is not recorded.

Education and Vocational Guidance: Digital Technology

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of potential merits of using of intelligent digital ecosystems for educational and vocational guidance.

Nick Gibb: Educational institutions are best placed to make decisions on technology to support students. The 2019 strategy ‘Realising the potential of technology in education’ highlighted innovative uses of technology, such as Ask Ada by Bolton College.The Department aims to ensure all schools have the right infrastructure to allow them to make the most of modern digital technology for all children and young people, including access to the high-quality tools provided by EdTech companies. The Department is also working to improve our digital and data services, automating processes to save time at every level of the system.The Department will ensure that every young person and adult can access personalised careers information and advice online, by improving the National Careers Service digital service. Through the Careers & Enterprise Company, the Department will ensure that every secondary school and college in England has access to a Careers Hub, digital support (Compass+), Careers Leader training and the Enterprise Advisor Network, as recommended by the Augar Report.

Schools: Gender Recognition

Mark Jenkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her Department's policy is on the referral by schools of children identifying as transgender to third party agencies, including those which offer assistance with medical transition; what guidance her Department offers to schools on such referrals; and if she will make an assessment of the potential liabilities to which a school that makes such a referral could be subject to in the event that those children subsequently decide to detransition.

Mark Jenkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department provides to schools on supporting transgender children; what her Department's policy is on support for social transition within the school and other forms of affirming support for those children; and if she will make an assessment of the potential liability to which a school could be subject to in the event that a child who has received such support later decides to detransition and seek redress.

Nick Gibb: Currently, National Health Service England’s (NHSE’s) policy permits the Gender Identity Development Service to accept referrals from education professionals, as well as health and social care professionals. It is for schools to make decisions on these matters on a case-by-case basis, within the NHSE's guidelines.NHSE is currently consulting on a new interim service specification for children’s gender identity services, which proposes to change the referral pathway so only GPs and healthcare professionals can make referrals to these specialist services. The consultation closes on 4 December 2022. Further details are available here: https://www.engage.england.nhs.uk/specialised-commissioning/gender-dysphoria-services/.The Department knows that issues around gender can be sensitive and complex for schools to navigate, which is why we are developing guidance to help schools to support pupils.To develop the content of the guidance, Departmental officials are engaging with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHSE and will be undertaking a public consultation on the draft guidance before publishing in 2023.

Video Games: Higher Education

John Nicolson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many lecturers at UK universities teach courses on video games.

Robert Halfon: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes statistics on staff in the higher education (HE) workforce. Cost centres are an accounting concept used as a proxy for academic departments. All HE providers arrange their academic schools, faculties, and departments differently. HESA cost centres are designed to be as comparable as possible between different providers.Information on the number of academics by cost centre can be accessed at: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/staff/table-26. The table shows that in the 2020/21 academic year, there were 8,720 academic staff at UK providers allocated to cost centre 121, named ‘IT, systems sciences & computer software engineering’. Video game academics could be allocated in other cost centres, but the aforementioned 121 is the most likely.This is the most granular breakdown available and does not specify video games or computer games. As such, lecturers who teach video games comprise some subset of that number. Additionally, not all academic staff are engaged in teaching, therefore the number includes researchers and other staff, in addition to lecturers.

Video Games: Degrees

John Nicolson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students have graduated with a degree in video games in each year since 2010.

Robert Halfon: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes statistics on enrolments and qualifications obtained at UK higher education institutions. Latest statistics refer to the 2020/21 academic year.The tables below show the numbers of first-degree qualifiers in computer games subjects between the 2012/13 and 2020/21 academic years. Counts are on the basis of full-person equivalents and figures have been rounded to the nearest five.Information on the number of qualifiers in these subjects has been available since the introduction of the third version of the Joint Academic Coding System (JACS3) in 2012/13. Figures cannot be provided for any year prior to that. Information for 2019/20 and 2020/21 is provided in a separate table, due to the introduction of a new subject classification system, the Higher Education Classification of Subjects (HECoS). Figures for 2019/20 and 2020/21 are not directly comparable with previous years.Qualifiers in games subjects (JACS3) include games, computer games programming, computer game design, and computer games graphics. Qualifiers in games subjects (HECoS) include computer games, computer games design, computer games graphics, and computer games programming. Academic years 2012/13 to 2018/19Academic YearNumber of qualifiers in computer games subjects (JACS3)2012/135952013/146252014/156902015/169002016/171,2902017/181,2652018/191,380 Academic year 2019/20 to 2020/21Academic YearNumber of qualifiers in computer games subjects (HECoS)2019/202,5102020/212,460

Education: West Midlands

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the financial allocations were to organisations in the West Midlands as part of her Department's Strategic Development Fund.

Robert Halfon: The West Midlands area has been allocated £2,535,717 in Strategic Development Funding for the financial year 2022/23.The funding has been awarded to a collaboration of the following further education providers to help them respond to local skills needs: BMET, City of Wolverhampton College, Coventry College, Fircroft College, GBS Institute of Technology, Halesowen College, North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College, Sandwell College, Solihull College, South & City College Birmingham, Walsall College, Warwickshire College Group, and University College Birmingham.Details on financial allocations of the Strategic Development Fund across all regions in England are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/strategic-development-fund-awards-2022-to-2023.

Higher Education

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the number of Higher Education institutions offered accelerated degree courses.

Robert Halfon: The course search function from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) website shows the number of providers offering full-time undergraduate accelerated degrees in the 2022/23 academic year. The website results can be accessed here: https://digital.ucas.com/coursedisplay/.The Office for Students also publishes data on the allocations of grant funding to higher education providers for the 2022/23 academic year. Column K in Annex A shows the providers receiving grant funding for accelerated full-time undergraduate provision. The data can be found here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/recurrent-funding-for-2022-23/.

Students: Loans

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when her Department will publish its response to the consultation of the lifelong loan entitlement.

Robert Halfon: The department published the consultation on the lifelong loan entitlement (LLE) on 24 February 2022, as part of its planned pathway to delivery.The consultation concluded on 6 May 2022. The department will publish its response to it in due course, after it has carefully considered the contributions received.Outside of this formal consultation, the department continues to engage with stakeholders to deliver the ambition of the LLE.Overall, stakeholders have been positive in welcoming the LLE and the flexibility it offers. They also expressed their keenness for a simpler system which is better understood than the current student finance system.

Higher Education: Finance

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will introduce legislative proposals to facilitate a greater level of credit transfer between Higher Education establishments.

Robert Halfon: Through the lifelong loan entitlement (LLE) consultation, which closed on 6 May 2022, the department sought views on the ambition for the LLE, its objectives and coverage, together with aspects, such as how to incentivise and enable effective credit transfer.The department is carefully considering the contributions received before publishing its response in due course. This consultation and other ongoing sector engagement is a critical part of delivering a transformation of student finance.As well as considering the consultation responses, the department is also considering what updates to the existing legislative framework may be necessary to deliver the government’s ambition on the LLE.

Higher Education

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the subjects expected to experience a growth in demand in the next five years at Higher Education institutions.

Robert Halfon: The department does not assess current or forecast expected student demand for different subjects at higher education institutions.Accurately forecasting future demand for particular subjects is difficult and any such assessment would be subject to significant uncertainty. Research shows that students take into account a variety of factors when deciding on course choice, including future earnings potential, passion, fulfilment and ability. More information about this can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/918941/DfE_Review_Educ_and_VET_choices_-_Final_1709.pdf.A report published in May 2022 for the department set out the key economic, social, political, technological, and environmental trends and drivers affecting labour market and skills demand. The report is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1077930/Labour_Market_and_Skills_Demand_Horizon_Scanning_and_Future_Scenarios_FINAL.pdf.

Hearing Impairment: Children

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will meet with Auditory Verbal UK to discuss funding for early intervention programmes for deaf children.

Claire Coutinho: The department is firmly committed to ensuring that children with special education needs and disabilities, including those who are deaf, receive the support they need to succeed in their early years, at school, and at college.The Secretary of State for Education has received an invitation to meet with Auditory Verbal UK and will reply in due course.

STEM Subjects: Females

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps her Department has taken to help increase female representation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programmes at university.

Robert Halfon: The department has taken action to increase the numbers of female students pursuing science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses at higher levels.12 Institutes of Technology have already been established, with a further nine announced in December 2021. Institutes of Technology are designed to be prestigious, high-quality education providers, created through innovative collaborations between further education colleges, universities, and employers. They provide higher technical education and training in key STEM sectors such as digital, construction, advanced manufacturing, and engineering. This enables local people to pursue rewarding jobs and provides local businesses with the skilled workforce they need. Institutes of Technology play a key role in widening local participation in technical education and training from disadvantaged and under-represented groups, including women, which will help to increase the long-term pipeline of STEM skills.The department has funded research programmes to investigate ways to tackle gender balance in STEM subjects. This includes the ‘Improving Gender Balance’ national research trial for physics and the ‘Gender Balance in Computing Programme’. The computing research, led by the Raspberry Pi Foundation, has now concluded and its findings will be published in due course.There are over 350 apprenticeship standards available in STEM, many of which are at degree level and delivered by universities, such as Civil and Manufacturing Engineering apprenticeships. These offer another way for people to study STEM subjects at university, whilst also earning a salary with a STEM employer. Overall, the number of women taking STEM apprenticeships has increased to 15%, up from 11% in the 2019/20 academic year.The proportion of female full-time undergraduate entrants studying STEM courses has also increased, from 33.6% in 2011 to 42.2% in 2021.

Students: Loans

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when the proposed lifelong loan entitlement will be launched.

Robert Halfon: In the consultation on the lifelong loan entitlement (LLE), which concluded on 6 May 2022, the department publicly committed to its delivery.As part of the pathway towards the LLE, the department will stimulate the provision of high-quality higher technical education at levels 4 and 5. We have already introduced pilots to inform future flexible and modular provision.As of the start of the 2022/23 academic year, the department is trialling loan-funded access to tuition fees for over 100 short courses at levels 4 to 6 at 22 providers across England. This will help the department to build and test towards the LLE and will allow students to study and develop the skills they need in a more flexible way.

Speech and Language Therapy: Children

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the number of deaf children that achieve spoken language skills; and what assessment she has made of the potential merits of early intervention programmes, including Auditory Verbal therapy, on educational outcomes for deaf children.

Claire Coutinho: The department is committed to ensuring that children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with hearing impairment, receive the support they need to succeed in their early years, at school and at college. We recognise the importance of spoken language skills and the particular challenges that deaf children face.The newborn hearing screening programme is offered to parents of all babies. It plays a key role in the early identification of children with hearing impairment and then in providing their parents with the right help to develop their spoken and wider communication skills. Health visitors and specialist local authority teachers provide families with advice and support to maximise the development of such skills in the early years. In addition, the Early Years Foundation Stage framework, which all early years providers follow, has a strong focus on developing communication and language.The department also has a comprehensive system for identifying where children have SEND and putting in place the right support for them, but we recognise that too often the experiences and outcomes of these children are poor. That is why earlier this year we consulted on the green paper, SEND Review: Right support, right place, right time, which set out proposals to improve the outcomes of children and young people. These proposals for strengthening the SEND system included commitments on early intervention, given the proven effectiveness of this approach. Further details can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/send-review-right-support-right-place-right-time.

Higher Education: Standards

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help improve the quality of higher education courses.

Robert Halfon: The department is committed to tackling low-quality higher education courses and ensuring that students and the taxpayer see returns on their investment.The department is taking forward significant regulatory reform with the Office for Students (OfS), which has introduced a more rigorous and effective quality regime. This includes introducing inspections, as well as setting stringent minimum thresholds on student outcomes for the first time.On 30 September 2022, the OfS announced a set of new minimum thresholds for student outcomes. For full-time undergraduate students studying their first degree, the thresholds are:80% of students to continue into a second year of study.75% of students to complete their qualification.60% of students to go into professional employment or further study.Universities and colleges that perform below these thresholds could face investigation to allow the OfS to understand the reasons for their performance. If a provider is found to be in breach of regulatory requirements, the OfS has the power to intervene and impose sanctions.

Ministry of Justice

Fireworks: Fixed Penalties

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many fixed penalty notices have been issued to people under the age of 18 for possessing a firework in a public place, in each year since 2017.

Edward Argar: The Ministry of Justice publishes information on the number of Penalty Notice for Disorders (PND), for various offences including the offence “DA15 Possession by a person under 18 of adult firework”, for the years 2011 to 2021 in the Out of Court Disposals data tool 2021.Penalty notices for disorder should no longer be available for persons aged under 18 such from 8 April 2013. A pilot scheme was implemented from early November 2014 in Leicestershire and Staffordshire police forces and from late November in West Yorkshire to reduce the types of out of court disposals available for adult offenders. In the pilot areas, the only out of court disposals available are community resolutions and conditional cautions.

Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been convicted of (a) trafficking and smuggling people across the Channel and (b) facilitation offences relating to small boat crossings in each of the last five years.

Edward Argar: The Ministry of Justice publishes information on the number of convictions, for various offences including assisting illegal immigration, trafficking and slavery, for the years 2017 to 2021, in the Outcomes by the Offence pivot tool.However, the number of offenders who were convicted for assisting illegal immigration, trafficking, and smuggling offences across the Channel, or specific to small boat crossings is not held centrally in the Court Proceedings database. This information may be held on court records but to examine individual court records to identify such details would incur disproportionate costs.

Prison Accommodation

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many Category D prisoners are held in (a) open and (b) closed prison environments.

Damian Hinds: Cat D prisoners housed in: % of Cat D PopulationNumber of prisonersOpen conditions473176.75%Closed conditions143323.25%Total6164100.00%The data provided above cover only adult prisoners (21+) in male prisons. Prisoners living in the open units of closed prisons (i.e. at HMP Norwich and HMP Stoke Heath) are included in the open conditions figure.It should not be inferred that all Category D prisoners in closed conditions are necessarily awaiting a transfer to open conditions in the short to medium term. A proportion may have returned from open conditions as not being assessed as suitable, and are awaiting re-classification. The transfer of prisoners around the prison estate is a matter for both sending and receiving prisons to agree so that prisoners are held in establishments that provide appropriate levels of security, are suitable for their age and legal status, provide facilities to reduce their risk of reoffending and, wherever possible, at the lowest cost to the taxpayer. Prisoners are moved to suitable establishments as part of their sentence plan, following re-categorisation in line with centrally produced guidance, where requested or where there is an operational need to do so.We are investing £3.8 billion to deliver 20,000 additional, modern prison places including 2,000 temporary prison places across England and Wales by the mid-2020s. This portfolio of work will deliver 660 additional places through expansion of the Category D estate at a number of sites across the country.

Prisoners' Release: Reoffenders

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offenders were recalled from licence to prison in each year since 2010.

Damian Hinds: The number of recalls(1) from licence to prison in each year since 2010 is set out in the table below.(1) The table includes instances of offenders recalled multiple times. Recording of data over time did not always contain unique identifiers, making identification of unique offenders in historical datasets not possible without significant manual checksYearNumber of Recalls201015,475201116,297201216,581201317,332201417,649201521,467201621,559201721,915201824,268201926,503202024,437202122,105202211,270** Covers only the first two quarters of 2022.The Government is focused on public protection.  Offenders on licence can be recalled to prison at any time if they breach their licence conditions.We routinely publish recall data at:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/offender-management-statistics-quarterly.

Gambling: Probation

Ronnie Cowan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether specific support is provided via the probation system to those suffering with gambling disorder.

Damian Hinds: Probation professionals work with every offender under supervision to address their need for support, and to assist them to make a fresh start, free from offending. We do this by focusing on what drives offending and therefore interventions that His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) currently delivers, though not designed exclusively for those with a gambling disorder, will be suitable for those for whom a gambling addiction is a factor in their offending. For example, those which tackle a number of the cognitive issues common to gamblers, such as lack of impulse control; poor consequential thinking and super-optimism (a thinking style that involves focusing only on unlikely positive outcomes and ignoring more likely negative consequences); risk-taking; and poor problem-solving.HMPPS is currently undertaking a review to help identify the extent of those with a gambling disorder.

Gambling: Custodial Treatment

Ronnie Cowan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans his Department has to increase support provided to sufferers of gambling disorder who are serving custodial sentences.

Damian Hinds: His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) is currently in the process of undertaking a needs analysis to help identify the extent of those with a gambling disorder. HMPPS are consulting widely with NHS England and charities such as GamCare, Gamble Aware and Gamblers Anonymous and listening to those with lived experiences to help inform future care pathways.

Reoffenders

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offenders reoffended within 12 months of being released from prison in the latest period for which data is available.

Damian Hinds: In the most recent quarter for which figures are available (October-December 2020), 4437 offenders committed a further proven offence or offences within 12 months of being released from custody.We have made significant progress in tackling the £18 billion cost of re-offending and protecting the public. Overall proven re-offending has decreased from 30.9 per cent in 2009-10 to 25.6 per cent in 2019-20.

Social Security and Child Support Tribunal

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for what reasons benefit decisions have been overturned following an appeal at the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal in the 2021-22 financial year.

Mike Freer: Information about the outcomes of appeals in the First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support) (SSCS) is published at: www.gov.uk/government/collections/tribunals-statistics.Decisions on benefit entitlement can be overturned on appeal for a variety of reasons. For instance, further evidence, including evidence in the form of oral testimony, may be provided at the hearing. HM Courts & Tribunals Service cannot comment on decisions made by independent tribunal judiciary.

Church Commissioners

Christianity: British Nationals Abroad

Jim Shannon: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, if the Church of England will consider the potential merits of providing ringfenced funding to support Christians to self sustain overseas if they are denied employment due to their belief.

Andrew Selous: No one should be denied employment on grounds of their Christian beliefs save in the most limited and legitimate circumstances, such as under a genuine occupational requirement. The Church of England comprises many different charitable bodies, each of which has its own charitable purposes. Each body would need to consider whether the provision of such support furthered its objects and came within its powers. There is a difference between support for Christians generally and the promotion of the work and mission of the Church of England, which is the purpose of the national Church. For this reason, the national Church has no plans to provide such support.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Charities

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what financial support his Department is providing to service charities to help them assist Forces communities through the cost of living crisis.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Support for veterans is provided by a number of Government Departments and is overseen by the Office for Veterans’ Affairs (OVA) within the Cabinet Office. The OVA is working with other Government Departments that provide support to veterans and is engaged with the service charity sector to understand how the veterans’ community may be impacted, including in the forthcoming Veterans Survey, and in a recent Cobseo-led survey specifically relating to the cost of living. The Government provides support to the Armed Forces Community through the £10 million per annum Covenant Fund. The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust distributes this funding to charities and community interest companies across the United Kingdom. Current funds, such as the Reaching and Supporting Armed Forces Communities programme, provide vital support to those who need it most. The Government is committed to supporting all households, including serving personnel and veterans, with the current costs of living. Defence has implemented the independent Armed Forces’ Pay Review Body’s 2022 pay award recommendations in full, including a pay uplift of 3.75% for all Service Personnel up to and including 1-star rank; frozen the daily food charge for our Armed Forces personnel; capped subsidised accommodation charge increases to one per cent; increased Get You Home and Home to Duty rates by 7 per cent; ensured that the council tax rebate reaches those in military accommodation, and is saving military families up to £3,000 per child per year by extending the availability of free wraparound childcare.  In addition, my officials at Veterans UK will process Winter Fuel Payments for eligible veterans whose only government-paid income is from a War Disablement Pension. Through its Veterans Welfare Service, Veterans UK provides one-to-one welfare support and advice to veterans or anyone supporting a veteran, their families and dependants.

Veterans: Identity Cards

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 16 May to Question 815 on Veterans: Identity Cards, what progress his Department has made on delivery of Veterans’ Recognition Cards.

Dr Andrew Murrison: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 31 October 2022 to Question 68602 to the hon. Member for Warrington North (Ms Nichols). Veterans: Identity Cards (docx, 21.3KB)

Ministry of Defence: Redundancy Pay

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what total amount of money has been paid out by his Department in severance payments for former (a) Ministers and (b) special advisers since 29 June 2022; how much of that money has subsequently been repaid to his Department as a result of individuals (A) rejecting the payment or (B) returning to new roles; and in how many cases where individuals were in post for (I) 0-3 months, (II) 3-6 months, (III) 6-12 months and (IV) more than 12 months has their full severance payment been retained as of 2 November 2022.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The Provision of severance payments for Ministers is set out in legislation. Details of the severance payments made to ministers when leaving office are published in departments' annual reports and accounts. Similarly, the provision of severance payments for special advisers is set out in the Model Contract, which is available on gov.uk, including provisions for repayment of severance if reappointed. The cost of severance payments made to special advisers across government is published annually by the Cabinet Office.

Army: Military Decorations

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of awarding battle honours for Army regiments that served in the most recent operations in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Following the end of combat operations in Iraq in 2009, the Army Honours and Distinctions Committee reviewed the campaign to assess the awarding of honours. Having considered that assessment, the Army decided that the campaign post TELIC 1 did not, in its view, qualify for honours. To date, the Army has not asked the Committee to review the campaign in Afghanistan.

Integrated Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy Review

Sarah Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to support the refresh of the Integrated Review.

Mr Ben Wallace: We are working across Government to support the update to the Integrated Review in line with Defence’s priorities. We will ensure we are investing in strategic capabilities and our alliances to deliver our priorities of protecting the nation, deterring our adversaries, and helping the nation prosper.

Ukraine: Satellite Communications

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what support his Department is providing to Ukraine for the protection and enhancement of satellite communication systems.

James Heappey: I can confirm the Ministry of Defence is providing assistance to Ukraine regarding beyond line-of-sight communications. I am unable to provide further details due to operational security.

China: Armed Forces

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department is aware of any UK civilian pilots who have been recruited by the Chinese Armed Forces to help train pilots in the People’s Liberation Army Air Force.

James Heappey: The Ministry of Defence does not track the employment status of UK civilian pilot licence holders, where they travel to, or roles they undertake in a private capacity.

Shipbuilding

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department takes to measure is progress on the delivery of the National Shipbuilding Strategy.

Mr Ben Wallace: In my role as Shipbuilding Tsar and as chair of the Shipbuilding Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG), I oversee the work of the National Shipbuilding Office (NSO) in implementing and delivering the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSbS) Refresh. As part of its broader approach to delivering the NSbS Refresh, the NSO is developing a monitoring and evaluation framework to ensure regular monitoring of the measures of success set out in the strategy.

Integrated Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy Review

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to publish the refresh of the Integrated Review.

Mr Ben Wallace: Professor John Bew, the Prime Minister's special adviser for foreign affairs and defence, is leading a Downing Street process to update the review.The update is expected to be published by the end of this year.

Department for Work and Pensions

Social Security Benefits: Disqualification

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants aged under-25 have received an affordability assessment before a sanction has been issued, both as a total number and as a proportion of all sanctions issued to this age group, in the most recent month for which data is available.

Guy Opperman: The requested information is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Employment: Social Security Benefits

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications for any type of benefit provided by his Department were made by people in employment in (a) Cardiff and (b) the Vale of Glamorgan in each of the last six months.

Guy Opperman: The information requested for income-related benefits is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Employment Schemes: Solihull

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much funding was allocated to Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council as part of his Department's Local Supported Employment initiative.

Guy Opperman: A total of £7.3m has been awarded to 29 Local Authorities to deliver the Local Supported Employment initiative until March 2025. This funding will provide support to people with learning disabilities and autism to find and retain work. Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council have been awarded £210,000 to deliver this service.

Interest Rates: Workplace Pensions

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of interest rate rises on trends in employee pension contributions.

Laura Trott: DWP actively monitors the latest data to continuously assess all potential impacts on employee pension saving. Data on trends in employee pension contributions is published in DWP’s annual Workplace pension participation and savings trends publication https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/workplace-pension-participation-and-savings-trends-2009-to-2020 . The next publication will be in June 2023. DWP also published further data on trends in participation and contributions in private pension providers in October 2022 https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/ten-years-of-automatic-enrolment-in-workplace-pensions. Both publications show that workplace pension participation has remained stable since the completion of the roll out of Automatic Enrolment in 2019.

Social Security Benefits: Visual Impairment

Paul Girvan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has concluded his annual review of benefits; and whether this review considered how many blind and partially sighted people use disability benefits intended to cover the additional costs their disability incurs on basic essentials

Tom Pursglove: The outcome of the Secretary of State’s annual review of State Pension and benefit rates will be announced shortly. Under the Equality Act 2010, public authorities are required to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and to consider the effects of his decisions on those with protected characteristics, which includes disability. In England and Wales, as of February 2022, there were 43 thousand people with Attendance Allowance who report visual disorders as their primary condition and 21 thousand claiming Disabled Living Allowance. As of July 2022, there were 51 thousand people claiming Personal Independence Payment who report visual disorders as their primary condition. These figures exclude Scotland and Northern Ireland because these benefits are devolved to the Scottish Parliament and are a transferred matter in Northern Ireland.

Cost of Living Payments: Visual Impairment

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many blind and partially sighted people have received a Disability Cost of Living Payment to date.

Tom Pursglove: No such assessment has been made. The Department for Work and Pensions has published management information on the total number of Disability Cost of Living Payments made. As of 30 September 2022, 6,000,000 Disability Cost of Living Payments had been made. The information which will be updated as new payments are made can be found here: Cost of Living Payment management information - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Employment: Special Educational Needs

Lee Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to help support people with special educational needs to get into the workplace.

Tom Pursglove: The Government is committed to supporting claimants with special educational needs move closer to the labour market or into work. Our new Local Supported Employment (LSE) service aims to help people with learning difficulties and/or autism to find and retain work. It uses the “place then train model” providing individuals with intensive one-to-one support to succeed with an employer. We are working with 29 local authorities across England and Wales to deliver LSE up until March 2025. The aim of LSE is to develop a sustainable model for delivering Supported Employment that can help increase the number of supported jobs delivered by local authorities. Supported Internships are aimed at helping young people with a learning disability and/or autism who have an Education, Health and Care Plan to gain the work experience they need to move on to employment. Supported Internships usually last for 12 months. Support from a specialist job coach and other costs may be funded through Access to Work if necessary. Whilst the Department for Education lead on Supported Internships, the Department for Work and Pensions provides support through the Access to Work funding. Additional Work Coach support for health journey claimants is a new Work Coach led support offer, which aims to help more disabled people and claimants with a health condition into, and towards, work. This trial of additional Work Coach support is initially available across a third of Jobcentres in England, Scotland and Wales, with plans for the support to be rolled out to claimants in other areas from 2023. Our Disability Employment Adviser (DEA) role delivers direct support to claimants who require additional work-related support and advice above our core Work Coach offer. DEAs continue to support all Work Coaches to deliver tailored, personalised support to all claimants with a disability or health condition. People in particular disadvantaged groups continue to benefit from support through the increased Flexible Support Fund and priority early access to the Work and Health Programme. Intensive Personalised Employment Support provision provides highly personalised packages of employment support for disabled people who want to work but have complex needs or barriers and require specialist support to achieve sustained employment. Access to Work is a demand-led discretionary grant scheme that provides funding for the extra disability-related costs people have when starting work, or maintaining employment. It can also support disabled people on an apprenticeship, traineeship, or Supported Internship. We are working with employers to encourage them to become Disability Confident. The Disability Confident scheme encourages employers to think differently about disability and health and to take positive action to address the issues disabled employees face in the workplace.

Social Security Benefits: Overpayments

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made a recent assessment of the impact of repaying debt owed to the Government, including Council Tax and benefit overpayments, on the financial situations of people receiving benefits, in the context of the cost of living crisis.

Tom Pursglove: The Department for Work and Pensions remains committed to working with anyone who is struggling with their repayment terms. Where a person has been overpaid benefit and feels they cannot afford the proposed rate of recovery, they are encouraged to contact the department to discuss a temporary reduction in their rate of repayment. The department has a well-established process for working with individuals to support them to manage any debts. Our agents will always look to negotiate affordable and sustainable repayment plans. This includes working with individuals to review their financial circumstances and, in most instances, a temporary reduction in their rate of repayment can also be agreed. There is no minimum amount that a claimant has to pay, and we have recently extended the time period for any reduced repayment to remain in place. The Government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living and has taken further decisive action to support people with their energy bills. The Energy Price Guarantee is supporting millions of households with rising energy costs, and the Chancellor made clear it will continue to do so from now until April next year. This is in addition to the over £37bn of cost of living support announced earlier this year, which includes the £400 non-repayable discount to eligible households provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme. This also includes up to £650 in Cost of Living Payments (paid in 2 lump sums of £326 and £324) which have targeted support at around 8 million low-income households on means-tested benefits. In addition, 6 million eligible disabled people have received a one-off Disability Cost of Living Payment of £150 and pensioner households will receive a one-off payment of £300 through, and as an addition to, the Winter Fuel Payment from November.

Cost of Living: Disability

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to ensure people with disabilities are not disproportionately affected by the cost-of-living crisis.

Tom Pursglove: The Government is providing extensive support to disabled people and those with a health condition to help them live independent lives. In 2022/23 we will spend over £64bn on benefits to support disabled people and people with health conditions in Great Britain. In response to cost of living pressures, the Government announced over £37bn of cost of living support earlier this year, which includes:A Disability Cost of Living Payment of £150 to six million people in recognition of the extra costs they face, including with energy costs;Up to £650 in Cost of Living Payments for the eight million households in receipt of a means-tested benefit;A one-off payment of £300 through, and as an addition to, the Winter Fuel Payment from November to pensioner households;The £400 non-repayable discount to eligible households provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme in addition to the Energy Price Guarantee from now, until April next year.

Cost of Living: Visual Impairment

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to work with external parties and agencies to ensure that blind and partially sighted people are able to meet the rising cost of living.

Tom Pursglove: The Secretary of State for DWP and I remain committed to improving disabled people’s lives and continue to meet colleagues across Government to push this important work forward. The Government understands that people across the UK are worried about the rising cost of living and are seeing their disposable incomes decrease as they spend more on the essentials. Decisive action is needed to get households and businesses through this winter and the next, while ensuring we act in a fiscally responsible way. Over the summer, a number of meetings and focus groups have taken place to hear disabled people's experiences, including one which was set up jointly with RNIB. Alongside this, officials continue to engage with stakeholders to build the evidence base on how the cost of living is impacting disabled people. This information will feed into the Government’s considered response.

Social Security Benefits: Disability

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Consent Order agreed by his Department on 13 July 2021 following its decision not to contest the legal challenge brought against it by “K” and its subsequent revisions to the Best Practice Memorandum used by staff calling disabled people appealing to the independent Tribunal, if he will instruct officials to undertake a sampling exercise to ensure that guidance is being adhered to.

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Consent Order agreed by his Department on 13 July 2021 following its decision not to contest the legal challenge brought against it by “K” and its subsequent revisions to the Best Practice Memorandum used by staff calling disabled people appealing to the independent Tribunal, how many calls have been made to appellants since that date, by (a) Employment Support Allowance, (b) Personal Independence Payment and (c) another Social Security benefit.

Tom Pursglove: Information about the number of calls made prior to an appeal being lapsed is not available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. The Appeals Manager of the Disputes Resolution Service (DRS) regularly requests assurance from each DRS site about its compliance with the Best Practice Memorandum. To date, no issues have been identified, therefore initiating a bespoke sampling exercise is not considered necessary at this time.

Social Security Benefits: Compensation

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of (a) the adequacy of the standard compensation payment paid to benefits claimants for errors made by his Department and (b) whether that payment always covers the full cost to claimants of errors.

Tom Pursglove: The department’s discretionary special payment scheme allows us to award redress to our customers for the impacts of departmental errors. As the impact may differ, in accordance with each customer’s circumstances, we consider each case on its own merits and any payment made will reflect the individual circumstances. For more details of the scheme, please see the guidance: Financial Redress for Maladministration.

Social Security Benefits: Visual Impairment

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of (a) means-tested and (b) non-means-tested benefit payments for (i) blind and (ii) partially sighted people.

Tom Pursglove: No assessment has been made of the adequacy of (a) means-tested and (b) non-means-tested benefit payments for (i) blind and (ii) partially sighted people.

Personal Independence Payment: Cost of Living Payments

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of cost of living payments have been paid to people receiving Personal Independence Payment; and how many of those payments are outstanding.

Tom Pursglove: In line with the code of practice, the number of Cost of Living Payments made to recipients of a specific benefit is the subject of an upcoming statistical release, and cannot be released before that publication is ready, subject to usual quality assurance. The Department for Work and Pensions has published management information on the total number of Disability Cost of Living Payments made. As of 30 September 2022, 6,000,000 Disability Cost of Living Payments had been made.The information which will be updated as new payments are made can be found here: Cost of Living Payment management information - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Personal Independence Payment: South East

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Personal Independence Payment claims were (a) taken to tribunal and (b) overturned in (i) Slough and (ii) the Southeast of England in the latest period for which data is available.

Tom Pursglove: Information on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) appeal lodgements and overturn rates are available within the PIP Official Statistics quarterly release. The latest release is available here: Personal Independence Payment statistics April 2013 to July 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) In the accompanying tables, Table 5F(i) shows the number of appeals and overturn rate broken down by parliamentary constituency. Additionally, Table 5F(iii) shows the number of appeals and overturn rate broken down by region.

Universal Credit: Deductions

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many universal credit claims were subject to deductions in the most recent month for which data is available, broken down by parliamentary constituency; how much was the (a) total and (b) average sum of deductions in each constituency; and what proportion of those sums was deducted to repay advance payments.

Guy Opperman: Since April 2021, we have reduced the normal maximum rate of deductions in Universal Credit from 40% to 25% of a claimant’s Standard Allowance. These positive measures were put in place to support claimants. The Government recognises the importance of supporting the welfare of claimants who have incurred debt. We seek to balance recovery of debt against not causing hardship for claimants and their families. Processes are in place to ensure deductions are manageable, and customers can contact DWP Debt Management if they are experiencing financial hardship, to discuss a reduction in their rate of repayment or a temporary suspension, depending on their financial circumstances. Advances are a claimant’s benefit entitlement paid early, allowing claimants to access 100% of their estimated Universal Credit payment upfront. They ensure nobody has to wait for a payment in Universal Credit and those who need it are able to receive financial support as soon as possible. Claimants can receive up to 100% of their estimated Universal Credit award if required, resulting in 25 payments over a 24-month period. This is not a debt. The analysis of Universal Credit claims with a deduction in May 2022 by Parliamentary Constituency in Great Britain (GB) is provided in the separate spreadsheet. Points to note:1. The number of claims per constituency in the table are rounded to the nearest hundred, total claims at GB level rounded to the nearest thousand. UC payments and total amounts of deductions are rounded to the nearest thousand pound. The sum of individual constituencies may not sum to the total figure due to rounding.2. Deductions include advance repayments, third party deductions and all other deductions, but exclude sanctions and fraud penalties which are reductions of benefit rather than deductions.3. Amount of Universal Credit paid reflects the amount of money paid to claimants and their landlords as part of their award, including the amount which they would have been entitled to had it not been deducted. It does not include other payments such as advances and hardship payments.4. Figures are provisional and are subject to retrospective change as later data becomes available.5. The' unknown' parliamentary constituency label relates to claims for which a constituency could not be determined due to incomplete postcode information.6. Data for May 2022 has been provided in line with the latest available UC Household Statistics.75994 table (xlsx, 228.9KB)75994 table (xlsx, 228.9KB)

Pension Credit: Take-up

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the take-up rate of Pension Credit in each region of the UK.

Laura Trott: Estimates for Pension Credit take-up in a financial year are only available at the Great Britain level and are available in the “Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up” publication which can be found on the statistics section of gov.uk. The latest publication relates to the financial year 2019 to 2020. Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year 2019 to 2020 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Pension Credit: Take-up

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to increase the take-up of Pension Credit.

Laura Trott: Pension Credit provides vital financial support to our most vulnerable pensioners and we want all those who are eligible to claim it. To raise awareness of Pension Credit and increase take-up, the Department launched a £1.2m nationwide communications campaign in April. The campaign included: Promotion of Pension Credit on social media, via internet search engines and sponsored advertising on targeted websites that pensioners, their friends and family are likely to visit;Information screens in Post Offices and GP surgeries across GB;Advertising in regional and national newspapers and on national and local broadcast radio;Advertising on the sides of buses, interior bus panels and digital street displays;Leaflets and posters in Jobcentres, as well as digital versions which could be used by stakeholders and partners across local communities;Engagement with Local Authorities nationwide through the Government Communication Service local network and promotional materials to enable them to support the campaign; andIn June, we held a second Pension Credit awareness media ‘day of action’ working in close collaboration with broadcasters, newspapers and other partners such as Age UK, Independent Age and the private sector to reach out to pensioners to promote Pension Credit through their channels.An updated digital toolkit with information and resources that any stakeholder can use to help promote Pension Credit.

Parental Pay

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing statutory (a) maternity and (b) paternity pay.

Mims Davies: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is currently conducting his statutory annual review of State Pensions and benefit rates. The outcome of that review will be announced in due course.

Department for Work and Pensions: Location

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will publish a breakdown of the total payments made to civil servants in his Department for relocation costs to Government offices outside London in 2021.

Mims Davies: I refer the honourable member to the answer given to PQ 71333.

Universal Credit: Scotland

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Prime Minister's comments on 2 November 2022 on discretionary funding supplied to the Scottish Government through the Barnett formula, whether there were similar funds allocated for making cost of living payments to those on Universal Credit paid four-weekly in other areas of the United Kingdom.

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Prime Minister's oral contribution of 2 November 2022, Official Report, column 864, on discretionary funding supplied to the Scottish Government through the Barnett formula, how many cost of living payments were made through that discretionary funding.

Mims Davies: DWP has made an estimated 689,000 means-tested Cost of Living Payments to households in Scotland and 607,000 Disability Cost of Living Payments to individuals in Scotland. The Cost of Living Payments are not funded through the Barnett formula, but rather, are funded directly by the UK Government. For those not eligible for the Cost of Living Payment, or who require further support, the Government is providing an additional £500 million to help households with the cost of essentials. This includes £421 million which is being provided in England to extend the Household Support Fund from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023. The Household Support Fund guidance asks Local Authorities to provide support to those most in need. In particular the guidance asks Local Authorities to consider those who may not be eligible for the other support government has recently made available but who are nevertheless in need. The Barnett formula applies in the usual way for this additional funding in England. This means that the devolved administrations will be receiving £79m of the additional £500m (£41m for the Scottish Government, £25m for the Welsh Government and £14m for Northern Ireland Executive). It is for the devolved administrations to decide how to spend this additional funding.

Social Security Benefits: Uprating

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of uprating benefits in line with inflation.

Guy Opperman: The Secretary of State is conducting his statutory annual review of State Pension and benefit rates. The outcome of the review will be announced shortly.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 17 October to Question 53318 on Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution, what the (a) target countries and (b) objectives of the youth engagement projects were.

David Rutley: A: Seychelles.B: To provide a healthy, safe and constructive sporting and development opportunity to potentially marginalised teenage boys and girls, based around values shared by the UK and Seychelles, and in support of community cohesion.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 21 September to Question 47438 on Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution, if the payments made by his Department to (a) Hutan Kota by Plataran, (b) Kaum, and (c) Bhumi, in Jakarta, Indonesia on 11 November 2021 were subject to his Department’s normal assurance checks on the use of electronic purchasing cards.

David Rutley: Yes we are content that the referenced payments were subject to normal FCDO controls and were an appropriate use of public money.

Spain: Visits Abroad

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 18 October to Question 60980 on Spain: Visits Abroad, whether the restaurant meal at La Penela, Madrid purchased with one of his Department’s electronic purchasing cards on 28 June 2022, was included in the declared costs of his predecessor’s visit to Spain from 28 to 30 June 2022.

David Rutley: All FCDO transparency and freedom of information releases are published on gov.uk. Transparency data has been published in this way since 2009/2010. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/letter-from-the-prime-minister-on-government-transparency-and-open-data.It is standard practice across government to publish total overseas travel cost figures for Ministers. These can be found in our published Quarterly Transparency Returns.

Poland: Visits Abroad

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 26 October 2022 to Question 68503 on Poland: Visits Abroad, whether the services from Milly Sabina Melanowski Catering purchased with one of his Department’s electronic purchasing cards on 4 April 2022 were included in the declared costs of his predecessor’s visit to Poland from 4 to 5 April 2022.

David Rutley: All FCDO transparency and freedom of information releases are published on gov.uk. Transparency data has been published in this way since 2009/2010. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/letter-from-the-prime-minister-on-government-transparency-and-open-data.It is standard practice across government to publish total overseas travel cost figures for Ministers. These can be found in our published Quarterly Transparency Returns.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Visits Abroad

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 25 April 2022 to Question 156410 on Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Visits Abroad, whether the restaurant meals purchased with one of his Department’s electronic purchasing cards at (a) The Bar Room, New York City on 21 September 2021 and (b) Smith & Wollensky, New York City on 22 September 2021 were included in the declared costs of his predecessor’s visit to the United States from 20 to 23 September 2021.

David Rutley: All FCDO transparency and freedom of information releases are published on gov.uk. Transparency data has been published in this way since 2009/2010. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/letter-from-the-prime-minister-on-government-transparency-and-open-dataIt is standard practice across government to publish total overseas travel cost figures for Ministers. These can be found in our published Quarterly Transparency Returns.

Ukraine: Reconstruction

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in (a) Poland and (b) Germany on support for rebuilding Ukraine.

Leo Docherty: The Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs regularly engages with his counterparts in Poland and Germany on a variety of issues relating to Ukraine, including its rebuilding. I recently visited Poland and Germany, where this was one of the issues I discussed with my counterparts. Supporting Ukraine's early recovery and reconstruction is a priority for the UK and through regular engagements with partners the FCDO is working to ensure that international momentum behind Ukraine's recovery is sustained.

Ukraine: Energy

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2022 to Question 73847 on Ukraine: Energy, what recent discussions he has had with (a) UK manufacturers and (b) UK allies on ensuring the supply of generators and replacement equipment for facilities damaged by Russian attacks.

Leo Docherty: The Foreign Secretary met with G7 Foreign Ministers on 3-4 November to discuss practical support as Ukraine prepares for winter, including coordinated efforts to help repair and defend Ukraine's energy and water facilities following Russian attacks on critical infrastructure.In March 2022, BEIS set up a Ukraine Electricity Network Support Taskforce, involving distribution network operators and the Energy Networks Association. Through this Taskforce, BEIS has funded the procurement of more than 850 mobile generators for Ukraine.

Egypt: Civil Liberties and Demonstrations

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Egyptian counterpart on defending civil liberties and the right to protest ahead of COP27.

David Rutley: Egypt is a human rights priority country for the UK. Our strong bilateral relationship allows us to raise human rights issues frankly with the Egyptian government, both in private and public. The former Minister for Africa did so when she met Foreign Minister Shoukry in Cairo on 19 October. The UK also issued a statement at the UN Human Rights Council in September calling on Egypt to ensure independent civil society, human rights defenders and media are able to operate freely at COP 27, noting the importance of civil society participation for a successful conference.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 17 October to Question 53318 on Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution, what the cost of all football kits purchased from each football club to support youth engagement projects was from the start of financial year 2020/21 to the end of October 2022.

David Rutley: The cost of all football kits purchased was £17,306.57 in FY 20/21 and £15,232.59 in FY 21/22. The transactions were with a range of individual clubs and commercial suppliers as set out below; most of these transactions were for kit from more than one EPL team. These kits are expected to be worn for four football seasons: an estimated 200 matches per kit.SupplierSum of Billed AmountBrighton and Hove Albion FC£ 491.95Directsoccer.co.uk£ 5,277.97Kitbag£ 3,845.95Gotto Sports£ 20.00Leicester City Football Club£ 736.10Lord Jerseys£ 609.00Premier Services International£ 7,891.49Norwich City Football Club£ 1,899.00Sports Direct 373£ 35.98SportsDirect.com£ 9,754.72Jersey Workshop£ 405.00West Ham United Football Club£ 1,572.00Grand Total£ 32,539.16

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 17 October to Question 53318 on Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution, whether the departmental spend attributed to the youth engagement projects was registered as Official Development Assistance in accordance with OECD rules from the start of financial year 2020/21 to the end of October 2022.

David Rutley: In line with OECD rules, the Seychelles does not qualify for Official Development Assistance.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 17 October to Question 53318 on Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution, which the twelve Premier League English Premier League teams were whose kits were purchased.

David Rutley: Arsenal, Aston Villa, Brighton and Hove Albion, Chelsea, Everton, Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Norwich City, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United.

North Korea: Nuclear Weapons

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the UK will refuse to recognise North Korea as a nuclear state.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The UK does not recognise the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) as a nuclear weapons state. The DPRK cannot have the status of a nuclear-weapon State in accordance with the Treaty on the Non Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), as stated in UNSC resolutions 1718 (2006) and 1874 (2009). We call upon the DPRK to return to, and fully comply with the NPT and International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards, as well as to comply with its international obligations in accordance with UNSC resolutions.

Pensions: British National (Overseas)

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of BN(O) visa holders who are currently unable to access their Mandatory Provident Fund in Hong Kong.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: We are aware that individuals who have chosen to take up the British Nationals(Overseas) (BN(O)) route are having difficulties accessing their Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) from Hong Kong. The MPF system is regulated in Hong Kong and we have called on the Hong Kong authorities to work with trustees to find a solution and allow individuals to withdraw their funds. The government does not hold data on the number of private or foreign pensions, such as the MPF, held by British Nationals.

Adaptation Fund and Green Climate Fund

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, for what reason the UK’s (a) $288 million outstanding contribution to the Green Climate Fund and (b) $20.6 million pledge to the Adaptation Fund have not yet been delivered; and if he will make a statement.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The UK remains committed to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and, as one of the largest donors, has provided almost £1.5 billion to date. We have given the green light to make our £264 million payment this financial year, well in advance of the next GCF Board meeting in March. We have paid £185 million of this already.The UK COP26 Presidency supported a record replenishment for the Adaptation Fund of $356 million - nearly triple the previous highest collective mobilisation. This included a £15 million pledge from the UK, which has now been paid.

Adaptation Fund and Green Climate Fund

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when his Department plans to deliver the UK’s (a) $288 million outstanding contribution to the Green Climate Fund and (b) $20.6 million pledge to the Adaptation Fund.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The UK remains committed to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and, as one of the largest donors, has provided almost £1.5 billion to date. We have given the green light to make our £264 million payment this financial year, well in advance of the next GCF Board meeting in March. We have paid £185 million of this already.The UK COP26 Presidency supported a record replenishment for the Adaptation Fund of $356 million - nearly triple the previous highest collective mobilisation. This included a £15 million pledge from the UK, which has now been paid.

Climate Change: Developing Countries

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress has been made in the last 12 months on providing finance for unavoidable loss and damage suffered by developing communities; and what steps he has taken to help ensure that finance reaches local communities on the frontlines of climate change.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: At COP26, the UK strongly supported the establishment of a 'Glasgow Dialogue on Loss and Damage' to discuss the arrangements for the funding of activities to avert, minimise and address loss and damage. The Santiago Network (a platform for catalysing technical assistance on loss and damage for developing countries) was also progressed through agreement on functions and funding. The UK actively participates in the Glasgow Dialogue and Santiago Network and looks forward to engaging on Loss and Damage at COP27, to build on the progress made in Glasgow.We are actively working with countries to ensure that local level actors are at the forefront of adaptation actions and investments. This includes support to the Least Developed Countries Initiative for Effective Adaptation and Resilience programme (LIFE-AR), and, through our COP26 presidency, promoting the implementation of the international Principles for Locally Led Adaptation, which are now supported by over 75 organisations.

Iran: Russia

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to prevent the supply of (a) drones and (b) missiles from Iran to Russia.

Leo Docherty: The UK condemns Iranian support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Iran's supply of drones is in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2231, and is causing human suffering and the destruction of civilian infrastructure. Iran supplying ballistic missiles to Russia would be a significant escalation. Last month, new UK sanctions targeted Iranian individuals and businesses responsible for supplying Russia with drones. We are working with France and Germany to support a UN investigation into the Iranian transfers, and we will continue to work with the international community to hold Russia and Iran to account.

Ukraine: Energy

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2022 to Question 73847 on Ukraine: Energy, how many of the 850 generators have been delivered to Ukraine.

Leo Docherty: All 850 generators have been delivered to Ukraine, where they are being used to provide power to homes currently disconnected from the electricity grid.

Chad: Elections and Security

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support a fair, inclusive, peaceful and rapid transition to elections in Chad; and what assessment he has made of the risks to (a) security in Chad and (b) regional security in the event that the transition to elections is not fair, inclusive, peaceful and rapid.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: Transparent and inclusive democratic elections are vital to ensuring Chad's long-term prosperity and stability, and that of the region. The UK supports the African Union's efforts to restore democratic rule, and continues to encourage the Chadian authorities to uphold the conditions set by the African Union's Peace and Security Council on 14 May 2021. We have expressed the importance of timely, inclusive elections to Chadian partners through our diplomatic engagement, including in a visit from the UK's Sahel Envoy in June 2022. The UK also contributed to the United Nations Development Programme fund to support the inclusion of women and youth in the National Dialogue.

Tigray: Humanitarian Aid

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to address the humanitarian crisis in the Tigray.

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussion he has had with the Ethiopian government on urgently restoring humanitarian access and telecommunications in areas affected by conflict in that region.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The former Minister for Development, Vicky Ford MP, visited Ethiopia on 19-20 October. She met Ethiopia President Sahle-Work and Deputy Prime Minister Demeke to press for a ceasefire and humanitarian access. The UK has provided almost £90 million to support the humanitarian response in Ethiopia in the last eighteen months.We welcome the peace agreement announced on 2 November between the Ethiopian Government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front. The agreement commits to mobilise and expedite humanitarian assistance for all those in need in the Tigray Region and other affected areas, and ensure unhindered humanitarian access. It also commits to the restoration of essential services to the Tigray region. The UK will work with the Ethiopian Government and others to support implementation of the this agreement.

Eritrea: Armed Conflict

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if his Department will sanction Eritrean actors for their involvement in the conflict in that country.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK welcomes the peace agreement and cessation of hostilities announced on 2 November between the Ethiopian Government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), and their commitment to scale-up the delivery of life-saving aid to Tigray. The UK calls upon the Eritrean Government to support the agreement by withdrawing its troops from Ethiopia.The UK Government considers the full range of policy tools at our disposal to protect human rights and deter violations of international humanitarian law. It is longstanding practice not to speculate on future sanctions designations as to do so could reduce the impact of the designations.

Tigray: War Crimes

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department’s atrocity prevention hub makes of the potential merits of targeted sanction designations against Eritrean individuals or entities involved in the conflict in Tigray, in coordination with international partners, as a measure to reduce the risk of atrocities in Tigray.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK continues to consider the full range of policy tools at our disposal to protect human rights and deter violations of international humanitarian law. It is longstanding practice not to speculate on future sanctions designations as to do so could reduce the impact of the designations.

Climate Change: Developing Countries

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he plans to take to help deliver COP26 climate finance commitments for adaptation for developing countries.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: Under the UK's COP Presidency, almost all developed country climate finance providers made new, forward-looking climate finance commitments, with many doubling or even quadrupling support for developing countries to take climate action. The $100 billion Delivery Plan Progress Report reaffirms that the $100 billion goal will be met by developed countries by 2023 latest, with over $500 billion mobilised over the 5-year period 2021-25. We have also made significant progress on adaptation finance, with agreement that developed countries should at least double their finance for adaptation on 2019 levels by 2025. Many providers have set out ambitious adaptation finance commitments, and the Multilateral Development Banks have already exceeded their 2025 adaptation finance target four years early. The UK will continue to champion progress on adaptation finance at COP27 and beyond.

Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, for what reasons the Government missed the 31 October 2022 deadline to pledge to replenish the Global Fund; and if he will set out the Government's plans to contribute to that fund.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK committed at the replenishment event to announce our pledge in the coming weeks and to remain a strong supporter of the Global Fund, building on our history as a co-founder and the third-largest historic donor, investing £4.4 billion to date. Ministers are carefully considering the value of our pledge in the context of broader fiscal planning across the government.

Ethiopia: Peace Negotiations

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will hold discussions with his counterparts from countries on the UN Security Council on establishing a peace strategy for the military conflict in Ethiopia.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK has supported efforts to secure a meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the return to conflict in Ethiopia. A closed meeting was held on 21 October to discuss this matter under the "Peace and Security in Africa" agenda item. The UK also raised the situation in Ethiopia during a UN Security Council discussion on conflict and hunger on 15 September. The UK has been heavily involved in international efforts to de-escalate conflict and welcomes the 2 November announcement of a peace agreement and cessation of hostilities.

Tigray: Peace Negotiations

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the progress of the African Union's peace initiative in the Tigray region of Ethiopia.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK welcomes the important step towards peace taken by the Ethiopian Government and Tigray People's Liberation Front in signing a cessation of hostilities on 2 November, and commends their choice to end the devastating two-year-long conflict.We are grateful to the leadership shown in brokering this critical agreement by African Union Commission Chairperson Faki, African Union High Representative to the Horn of Africa Obasanjo, former South African Deputy President Mlambo-Ngcuka, former Kenyan President Kenyatta, and the South African Government in hosting the talks.

Ethiopia: Famine and Food Supply

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the reduction of the foreign aid target on the UK's ability to help address (a) the risk of famine in Tigray and (b) the millions of people severely food insecure due to drought in Ethiopia.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: In Ethiopia, the population in need of humanitarian food and nutrition assistance has reached record levels in 2022, driven by ongoing insecurity and climate shocks that are likely to result in continued high needs into 2023. The UN estimates that over 20 million people are food insecure in Ethiopia, of which 13 million people require food assistance as a result of the conflict in the north.In the last eighteen months the UK has provided almost £90 million of humanitarian support to people affected by crises throughout Ethiopia. Our support has reached civilians in Tigray, Afar, Amhara, Somali and Oromia and also eastern Sudan. This includes critical food aid, safe drinking water, medical care, sanitation and nutritional supplies.

Tigray: Armed Conflict

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will hold discussions with his (a) Ethiopian and (b) Eritrean counterparts on the use of bombing in civilian areas of the Tigray region of Ethiopia.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The indiscriminate targeting of civilian areas, no matter the weapon used, is against international law, and is unacceptable. The former Minister for Development visited Ethiopia 19-20 October. She met Ethiopia President Sahle-Work and Deputy Prime Minister Demeke and raised the protection of civilians. The British Ambassador to Eritrea has regularly raised human rights issues, and the impact of its involvement in the war in northern Ethiopia on civilians, with the Eritrean Government. We have made numerous public statements urging all parties to the conflict to prioritise the protection of civilians. We welcome the 2 November peace agreement.

Chad: Demonstrations and Security

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support credible accountability for the deaths during protests in Chad on 20 October 2022; and what assessment he has made of the risks to (a) security in Chad and (b) regional security in the event that there is no credible accountability for these deaths.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK resolutely supports the right to peaceful protest across the world. We call on the Chadian Government to ensure that a full and transparent investigation takes place into the events of 20 October including the deaths of civilians as well as police officers. On 20 October, the former Minister for Africa, Minister Keegan, tweeted her support for peaceful protest, and we will continue to use our diplomatic presence on the ground and relationships with international partners to call for restraint, dialogue and a non-violent transition to civilian and constitutional rule in Chad.

Ethiopia: Armed Conflict

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if his Department has made an assessment of the impact of the conflict in Ethiopia on the (a) Irob and (b) Kunama populations.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: Like many in Tigray, the Irob and Kunama populations have suffered horrifically during the conflict. There are reports of indiscriminate shelling causing civilian casualties and millions require access to life-saving aid.We welcome the peace agreement and cessation of hostilities announced on 2 November between the Government of Ethiopia and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). The agreement commits to mobilize and expedite humanitarian assistance for all those in need in the Tigray Region and other affected areas, and ensure unhindered humanitarian access. It also commits to the restoration of essential services to the Tigray region. The UK will work alongside the Ethiopian Government and others to support implementation of the peace agreement.

Ethiopia: Armed Conflict

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will publish in full the Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability assessment for Ethiopia.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: A Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability (JACS) was completed earlier this year. This is an internal document and will not be published. The JACS was commissioned to develop a cross-Whitehall understanding of the drivers, dynamics, triggers and resilience for conflict, insecurity and instability in Ethiopia and the implications for UK interests and priorities. It is being used to guide the cross-Whitehall approach to supporting peace and stability in Ethiopia and prevent human rights abuses and violations as a result of conflict.

Tigray: Armed Conflict

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) veracity and (b) implications of reports that Iranian-supplied drones have been used to bomb civilians in the Tigray.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The indiscriminate targeting of civilians, no matter the weapon used, is against international law. We advocate for responsible arms exports which comply with international obligations, including International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law.

Ethiopia: Armed Conflict

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help support survivors of sexual violence in the ongoing conflict in Ethiopia.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: In northern Ethiopia, the UK has provided £4 million to help support survivors of sexual violence. We are also implementing recommendations from the 2021 scoping mission by the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) Team of Experts. This includes working with women's rights organisations to enhance support services to survivors of violence; new research into the drivers and dynamics of conflict-related sexual violence; and coordination of the international response to gender based violence. In October, we co-sponsored the resolution at the 51st session of the Human Rights Council to extend International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia's mandate. The former Minister for Development raised conflict related sexual violence with the Ethiopian President during her visit in October.

Ethiopia: Armed Conflict

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will highlight the effect of ongoing conflict in Ethiopia at the forthcoming global conference on eliminating sexual violence in conflict.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: We will highlight the effects of conflict in Ethiopia as part of the programme at the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Conference in November 2022. We have invited a range of representatives able to discuss the impacts of the conflict in Ethiopia.

Tigray: Armed Conflict

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will discuss the removal of Eritrean forces from Tigray with his (a) international and (b) Eritrean counterparts.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK welcomes the peace agreement and cessation of hostilities announced on 2 November between the Ethiopian Government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), and their commitment to scale-up the delivery of life-saving aid to Tigray. The UK has consistently called upon Eritrea to withdraw its troops from Ethiopia: the need to support the peace agreement has reinforced the case for it do so. The UK will work alongside the Ethiopian Government and others to support implementation of the peace agreement.

Tigray: Death

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if his Department is taking steps to reduce (a) neonatal and (b) maternal deaths in Tigray.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: In the last eighteen months the UK has provided nearly £90 million of life-saving aid to communities across Ethiopia affected by crises. In October, the former Minister for Development announced £14 million of support to assist 150,000 women and children affected by conflict and drought with comprehensive health, water, sanitation, hygiene and nutrition services.

Ethiopia: Human Rights

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will have discussions with his international counterparts on ensuring (a) that the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia has adequate funding and (b) access to all parties in Ethiopia as part of the second phase of that organisation's investigation.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK is strongly supporting all efforts to ensure accountability for violations and abuses, including by the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission and the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE). The UK co-sponsored the December 2021 resolution at the Human Rights Council which established the Commission. We also co-sponsored the October 2022 resolution at the Human Rights Council to extend the Commission's mandate. We have urged all parties to cooperate with the Commission's investigation. The former Minister for Development raised this on several occasions with the Ethiopian Ambassador.

Eritrea and Ethiopia: War Crimes

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take steps to ensure the presence of a named atrocity prevention lead in the UK’s embassy teams in (a) Eritrea and (b) Ethiopia.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The Office for Conflict, Stabilisation and Mediation (OCSM) in the UK supports our Embassies with atrocity prevention work. Human rights experts in our Embassies, liaise closely with colleagues in the OCSM, as well as international human rights organisations, on atrocity prevention and monitoring. The UK is a member of the International Atrocity Prevention Working Group, and joined a joint statement by its members on Ethiopia earlier this year.

Tigray: Armed Conflict

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the number of civilians killed in the Ethiopian and Eritrean offensive in the Tigray region of Ethiopia since 1 September 2022.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: Information on casualties from the conflict in northern Ethiopia is scarce. Since the resumption of fighting on 24 August it is likely that there have been thousands of casualties. 13 million people require humanitarian assistance as a result of the conflict.The UK welcomes the peace agreement and cessation of hostilities announced on 2 November between the Ethiopian Government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), and their commitment to scale-up the delivery of life-saving aid to Tigray. The UK calls upon the Eritrean Government to support the agreement by withdrawing its troops from Ethiopia.

Tigray: Peace Negotiations

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the African Union’s proposed peace initiative in Tigray.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK welcomes the important step towards peace taken by the Ethiopian Government and Tigray People's Liberation Front in signing a cessation of hostilities on 2 November, and commends their choice to end the devastating two-year-long conflict.We are grateful to the leadership shown in brokering this critical agreement by African Union Commission Chairperson Faki, African Union High Representative to the Horn of Africa Obasanjo, former South African Deputy President Mlambo-Ngcuka, former Kenyan President Kenyatta, and the South African Government in hosting the talks.

Israel: Embassies

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the announcement that the Government is reviewing the location of Britain's embassy in Israel, what the terms of reference are for the review; and if that review will take contributions from British non-Governmental organisations with an interest.

David Rutley: There are no plans to move the UK embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv. Israel is a close friend and key strategic partner, built on decades of cooperation. We will continue to strengthen our relationship with Israel through our Embassy in Tel Aviv.

Bermuda and Cayman Islands: Marriage

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with LGBT activists and organisations from the (a) Cayman Islands and (b) Bermuda where the right to marriage for same-sex couples is refused by their respective Governments.

David Rutley: The inhabited British Overseas Territories are separate, largely self-governing jurisdictions with their own democratically elected representatives. The relationship with the Overseas Territories is based on partnership. Policy on marriage law is an area of devolved responsibility.The majority of Overseas Territories have legal recognition and protection for same sex relationships, either through marriage or through civil partnerships as is the case in Bermuda. In 2020 the Governor of the Cayman Islands enacted civil partnership legislation to recognise same-sex partnerships in order to comply with the Cayman Islands Court of Appeal. The UK Government continues to engage with and encourage remaining Territories that have not put in place arrangements to recognise and protect same sex relationships, to do so.The UK Government remains open to further engagement with LGBT+ activists and organisations across the Overseas Territories to support increased recognition and protections for same-sex relationships in the Overseas Territories.

Bermuda and Cayman Islands: Marriage

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with LGBT activists and organisations from the (a) Cayman Islands and (b) Bermuda where the right to marriage for same-sex couples is refused by their respective Governments.

David Rutley: The inhabited British Overseas Territories are separate, largely self-governing jurisdictions with their own democratically elected representatives. The relationship with the Overseas Territories is based on partnership. Policy on marriage law is an area of devolved responsibility.The majority of Overseas Territories have legal recognition and protection for same sex relationships, either through marriage or through civil partnerships as is the case in Bermuda. In 2020 the Governor of the Cayman Islands enacted civil partnership legislation to recognise same-sex partnerships in order to comply with the Cayman Islands Court of Appeal. The UK Government continues to engage with and encourage remaining Territories that have not put in place arrangements to recognise and protect same sex relationships, to do so.The UK Government remains open to further engagement with LGBT+ activists and organisations across the Overseas Territories to support increased recognition and protections for same-sex relationships in the Overseas Territories.

Home Office

Migrant Workers: Skilled Workers

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 19 October to Question 61719 on Migrant Workers: Skilled Workers, how many skilled worker visa applications submitted in the UK have surpassed the service standard time.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office publishes data on the number of skilled worker visas which have been processed outside target processing times in our Transparency data.The Home Office Transparency data sets out how the department is performing against its service standard, which can be found on the GOV.UK webpage: Visas and Citizenship data: Q2 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Leader of the House of Commons: Correspondence

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will make it its policy to provide a separate written response for each individual case raised by hon. Members rather than than combining multiple cases in one letter.

Robert Jenrick: The use of multi-response letters is a key measure which forms part of the MP’s Correspondence Recovery Plan. The plan will enable a return to the 20- day service standard In January 2023.Multi-response letters are a much quicker way of answering correspondence, but we understand that in some instances Members will require an individual reply. Therefore, we will provide an agreed response type depending on their preferences.

Members: Correspondence

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to respond to the correspondence of 30 September 2022 from the hon. Member for Liverpool Walton on Maddy Lututa.

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to respond to the correspondence of 29 September 2022 from the hon. Member for Liverpool Walton on Hareth Alhuraithi.

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department will respond to the correspondence of 3 October 2022 from the hon. Member for Liverpool, Walton on Maria Yeka.

Robert Jenrick: PQ 76097 – MPAM reference – MPAM/0444783/22 – The Home Office responded to the correspondence on 2 November 2022PQ 76100 – MPAM reference – MPAM/0443041/22 – The Home Office responded to the correspondence on 2 November 2022PQ 76102 – MPAM reference – MPAM/0446302/22 – The Home Office responded to the correspondence on 2 November 2022

Members: Correspondence

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to respond to the correspondence of 27 September 2022 from the hon. Member for Liverpool, Walton on Hamza Shafique.

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to respond to the correspondence of 27 September 2022 from the hon. Member for Liverpool, Walton on Briyar Khodamorady.

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to respond to the correspondence of 28 September 2022 from the hon. Member for Liverpool, Walton on Ardal Marteen.

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to respond to the correspondence of 28 September 2022 from the hon. Member for Liverpool, Walton on Sadaldin Habab.

Robert Jenrick: PQ 74872 – MPAM reference – MPAM/0440685/22 – The Home Office responded to the correspondence on 1 November 2022PQ 74873 – MPAM reference – MPAM/0440340/22 – The Home Office responded to the correspondence on 1 November 2022PQ 74874 – MPAM reference – MPAM/0443657/22 – The Home Office responded to the correspondence on 1 November 2022PQ 74875 – MPAM reference – MPAM/0443119/22 – The Home Office responded to the correspondence on 1 November 2022

Detention Centres: Manston

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 01 November to Question 72951 on Detention Centres: Manston, what is the maximum length of time the Secretary of State can legally authorise an individual to be detained at Manston for.

Robert Jenrick: Rule 6 of the Short Term Holding Facility Rules 2018 states that a detained person must not be detained in a holding room for a period of more than 24 hours. The Secretary of State may authorise this period to be extended if she determines that exceptional circumstances require it.Further information is available in published guidance on the Short Term Holding Facility Rules 2018.

Members: Correspondence

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Liverpool Walton, reference MPAM/0443571/22, what the technical issue is that delayed his constituent's case; and whether this technical issue has affected any other applications made to her Department.

Robert Jenrick: As UK Visas and Immigration have transitioned over to new casework systems, a new interface has been built to complete security checks. During this transition some technical issues have been identified with the return of these checks. This impacts a relatively small proportion of cases, with little impact on overall service standards. A technical solution is in development to resolve this issue, which will be implemented as soon as possible

Migrant Workers: Seasonal Workers

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, from which countries are workers entering the UK on the 8 week poultry visa being recruited from; what monitoring of the scheme is in place to ensure that workers are not being charged recruitment fees; and what systems are in place to provide redress where fees are being charged.

Robert Jenrick: The Seasonal Worker route is an ‘operator led’ immigration route, scheme operators are selected to manage the placement of workers on UK farms and to ensure their welfare in the UK.These operators are selected by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs through a fair and open selection process and recommended to the Home Office – who assess the operator’s suitability to become a licensed sponsor.The Scheme Operators are responsible for managing all aspects of the recruitment and placement of workers on UK farms and ensuring their welfare in the UK. This includes ensuring ethical recruitment practices, in line with Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority regulations, and that workers are fully supported throughout their stay.

Asylum: West Yorkshire

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many migrants who have entered the UK via small boat crossings are currently housed in accommodation within West Yorkshire whilst their asylum claims are being processed.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office has a statutory obligation to provide accommodation and other support to asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute while their application for asylum is being considered.The Home Office publishes data on asylum seekers in receipt of support in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on the number of asylum seekers in receipt of support by local authority are published in tables Asy_D11 of the asylum and resettlement detailed datasets. Information on how to use the datasets can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbooks. Data is published on a quarterly basis, the latest information was published 23 September 2022.The Home Office do not publish statistics which disaggregate those claiming asylum support who entered the United Kingdom via channel crossings. This information is not held in a reportable format and would require a manual search of records which would incur a disproportionate cost.Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the code of practice for statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, as well as quality and availability of data.

Detention Centres: Manston

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the (a) cleanliness and (b) safety at Manston asylum processing centre.

Robert Jenrick: We take the safety and welfare of those in our care extremely seriously.We provide for all the basic needs of people who will have arrived tired, cold, in wet clothing and who may not have eaten during their journey.We provide suitable welfare provisions including hot food, fresh clothing, toilet facilities, sanitary packs and medical care.The safety of our officers and those arriving by small boat is our utmost priority and risk assessments are under constant review as the situation changes.

British National (Overseas): British Nationality

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure BNO visa dependents are offered routes to British citizenship.

Robert Jenrick: The Hong Kong British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) route allows BN(O) status holders and their eligible family members to apply to come to the UK to live, study and work. After five years’ residence in the UK, BN(O) status holders and their eligible family members will be able to apply for indefinite leave to remain, followed by British citizenship after a further 12 months, where they meet the other statutory requirements for that.

Detention Centres: Manston

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason an RAF helicopter was used to transport her to the Manston asylum processing site on 3 November 2022.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Detention Centres: Manston

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she personally requested to be transported to the Manston asylum processing site from Dover via Chinook helicopter on 3 November 2022.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Asylum: Hotels

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of the hotels being used for asylum seeker accommodation on 1 October 2022 were no longer being used to house asylum seekers on 1 November 2022.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Passports: British National (Overseas)

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had recent discussions with her Chinese counterpart on taking steps to ensure that British National (Overseas) visa dependents with Hong Kong passports are able to safely visit Chinese embassies in the UK for passport renewals.

Robert Jenrick: In response to the shocking events in Manchester the Chinese chargé d’affaires attended a summons at the FCDO on Tuesday 18 October. In the summons, the senior FCDO official was clear that peaceful protest is a fundamental part of British society and that everyone in the United Kingdom has the right to express their views peacefully and without fear of violence. He reiterated our clear expectation that diplomatic and consular staff should conduct themselves in accordance with UK law.We await details of the police investigation, but in the meantime our ambassador has delivered a clear message directly to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing about the depth of our concern.If the police determine there are grounds to charge any officials, we would expect the Chinese consulate to waive immunity for those officials. HMG will continue to ensure the safety of our valued Hong Kong community in the UK.

Asylum: Hotels

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of the hotels that were being used for asylum seeker accommodation on 1 September 2022 were no longer being used to house asylum seekers on (a) 1 October 2022 and (b) 1 November 2022.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Undocumented Migrants: Albania

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Albanians arrived in the UK on small boats between 1 June 2022 and 31 October 2022; and how many and what proportion of these Albanians stated that they intended to apply for asylum.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Undocumented Migrants: Albania

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Albanians arrived in the UK on small boats between 1 June 2022 and 31 October 2022; and how many and what proportion of those Albanians said they had been victims of modern slavery.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Detention Centres: Manston

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she expects to revert command and control of the Manston immigration facility from the Armed Forces to Border Force.

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of military personnel being based at the Manston processing centre on the mental health of asylum seekers based at that facility.

Robert Jenrick: It was always the case that Defence support to the Home Office will continue until January 2023, at which point the operational and wider arrangements will be reviewed.Military personnel at the Manston site support the operation primarily through logistics and command and control. They do not routinely carry out duties that bring them into contact with people held at the facility.

Animal Experiments: Inspections

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the number of inspectors employed within the Home Office’s Animals in Science Regulation Unit.

Robert Jenrick: The Regulator’s capacity and capability for service delivery and compliance assurance purposes is aligned with the requirements defined in the legislation. This includes in-person announced and unannounced visits to licensed establishments. The Regulator has strengthened its regulatory oversight and published its process of full system audits at: www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-research-technical-advice#process-and-standards-for-establishment-full-system-audits. The Regulator is presently recruiting further Inspectors to enhance capacity.

Asylum: Equality

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to prevent discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in the application of the new asylum assessment rules under the Nationality and Borders Act.

Robert Jenrick: This Government remains committed to securing and advancing the rights of individuals who are LGBT. The welfare and dignity of all claimants, including those who are LGBT, remains central to our decision-making processes.One of the key objectives of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 – part of our New Plan for Immigration - is to increase the fairness and efficacy of our asylum system so that we can better protect and support those in genuine need of asylum. Equalities considerations have been central in developing our plan. In September 2021, we published an Equality Impact Assessment for the policies being taken forward through the then Bill which included an assessment on potential impacts on people who may face persecution because of the protected characteristics of sex, sexual orientation and gender reassignment.

Detention Centres: Manston

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many children there are at the Manston processing centre; and what proportion of those children are unaccompanied.

Robert Jenrick: Home Office does not hold the data in the format requested.

Refugee Convention

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the UK's compliance with the 1951 Refugee Convention.

Robert Jenrick: The UK has a proud history of providing protection to those who need it, and all our policies are in accordance with our international obligations under the Refugee Convention.

Detention Centres: Manston

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the mental health of individuals detained at the Manston detention centre.

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the impact of overcrowding at the Manston detention centre on the mental health of the individuals detained there.

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many individuals detained at the Manston detention centre have sought support for their mental health.

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many individuals detained at the Manston detention centre have been identified to have a diagnosable mental health disorder.

Robert Jenrick: Home Office does not hold the data in the format requested.We are working with partners in Kent NHS to improve access to mental health professionals. Home Office staff on site are trained to identify and deal with vulnerable people and in the event of a mental health crisis we work closely with existing health providers to ensure appropriate onward referral.

Detention Centres: Manston

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to provide additional (a) mental health and (b) wellbeing support for people leaving Manston Immigration Processing Centre.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an estimate of the average length of time that refugees transferred from the Manston immigration centre will reside in a hotel in York.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, where refugees from the Manston immigration centre who are moved to hotels in York will then be relocated to.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she is taking steps to make immigration advice available to refugees who are moved from Manston Immigration Processing Centre to hotels in York.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to help place people who are moved from Manston Immigration Processing Centre in locations close to family and friends in the UK.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that migrants relocated from Manston to York are not placed in over overcrowded conditions.

Robert Jenrick: Due to the continuing unprecedented high volume of small boats arrivals and the historical pressure from COVID-19 on the asylum system it has been necessary to continue to use hotels to accommodate some asylum seekers.The Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts (AASC), set out clearly what the Home Office expects of its accommodation providers, including requirements in relation to our customers’ welfare and needs as well as accommodation standards, as set out in Schedule 2.We ensure that rooms are an appropriate size for the number of occupants and the occupancy in each bedroom does not exceed that specified in the appropriate space standard, as defined in relevant legislation and/or in Local Authority licensing requirements, as well as ensuring that we are adhere to Public Health England guidance where applicable. The average length of stay in our contingency hotels is 6 to 12 months due to the current accommodation and capacity challenges. The location of dispersal accommodation will be based on the availability of properties suitable for each asylum seekers needs.Accommodation is offered on a no-choice basis across the United Kingdom. There are established mechanisms in place if individuals have a specific, acute need to be accommodated in a particular area. These mechanisms are supported by Migrant Help and asylum support casework teamsAll asylum seekers have the same access to free NHS services in the same way as British citizens and other permanent residents. The Home Office and its contractors work closely with the NHS, local authorities and non-governmental organisations to ensure that people can access the health care and support they need. Asylum seekers also have access to a 24/7 AIRE (Advice, Issue Reporting and Eligibility) service provided for the Home Office by Migrant Help. Through this asylum seekers can raise any concerns regarding accommodation or support services and they can get information about how to obtain further support and legal advice.The Full Dispersal model, announced on 13 April 2022, aims to reduce then end the use of hotels by allowing the Home Office to procure dispersal properties within the private rental sector in all Local Authority areas across England, Scotland and Wales, rather than the minority of Local Authorities which currently participate.

Detention Centres: Manston

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on what date was the change of use planning permission for the Manston site approved as a processing centre for asylum claimants.

Robert Jenrick: The current operation of the Manston site is commensurate with the existing planning use.

Asylum

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what is the average length of time spent by an asylum-seeker waiting for a decision on inadmissibility.

Robert Jenrick: Published statistics on inadmissibility can be found online at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-year-ending-september-2021/how-many-people-do-we-grant-asylum-or-protection-to#inadmissibilityThe Home Office does not publish a breakdown of these statistics which provide an average length of time to reach an inadmissibility decision. Those figures are not available in a reportable format and to provide the information could only be done at disproportionate cost.

Asylum: Hotels

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average daily spend on hotel accommodation for asylum seekers was in September 2022; and what the average daily number of asylum seekers accommodated in those hotels was in September 2022.

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers were accommodated in hotels in September 2022; and what the cost was per person per night, rounded to the nearest £10.

Robert Jenrick: The significant increase in dangerous journeys across the Channel is placing unprecedented strain on our asylum system and it has made it necessary to continue to use hotels to accommodate some asylum seekers. The use of hotels is a short-term solution and we are working hard with local authorities to find appropriate accommodation. There are currently more than 37,000 asylum seekers in hotels costing the UK taxpayer £5.6 million a day. Occupancy levels vary and the number of people flowing through contingency hotel accommodation in any one month is not recorded. Statistics relating to supported asylum seekers temporarily residing in contingency accommodation are published as Immigration Statistics under the S98 population tables. The latest publication (March 2022) can be found here Asylum and resettlement datasets - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab), under the document Asylum seekers in receipt of support (second edition)(opens in a new tab).  The Home Office does not publish a breakdown of statistics which disaggregates the number of asylum seekers accommodated in specific types of accommodation. These figures are not available in a reportable format and to provide the information could only be done at disproportionate cost.

Asylum: Hotels

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of asylum-seekers in hotel accommodation awaiting an inadmissibility decision.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office has a statutory obligation to provide accommodation and other support to asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute while their application for asylum is being considered.The significant increase in dangerous journeys across the Channel is placing unprecedented strain on our asylum system and it has made it necessary to continue to use hotels to accommodate some asylum seekers. The use of hotels is a short-term solution and we are working hard with local authorities to find appropriate accommodation.Statistics relating to supported asylum seekers temporarily residing in contingency accommodation are published as Immigration Statistics under the S98 population tables. The latest publication (March 2022) can be found here Asylum and resettlement datasets - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab), under the document Asylum seekers in receipt of support (second edition)(opens in a new tab). The Home Office does not publish a breakdown of statistics which disaggregates the number of asylum seekers accommodated in specific types of accommodation, or the number at specific stages of the asylum process. These figures are not available in a reportable format and to provide the information could only be done at disproportionate cost.

Detention Centres: Manston

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the possible compensation due to asylum-seekers as a result of the conditions at Manston asylum centre.

Robert Jenrick: Decisions to detain people are not taken lightly. We will robustly defend decisions subject to legal challenge, when appropriate to do so, with a decision to defend or concede based on the merits of the individual case.The facility at Manston provides suitable welfare provisions including hot food, fresh clothing, toilet facilities, sanitary packs and medical care. It provides for all the basic needs of people who will have arrived tired, cold, in wet clothing and who may not have eaten during their journey. We will continue to innovate to provide for the basic needs of those in our care and to ensure the safety of everyone at Manston as a priority.

Detention Centres: Manston

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many vulnerable adult warning forms have been submitted for individuals held at Manston Short-Term Holding Facility, each month since the facility's opening.

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many detainees had been designated as adults at risk while at Manston Short-Term Holding Facility, in each month since the facility's opening.

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many incidents involving (a) violence and (b) non-compliance have been reported at Manston Short-Term Holding Facility in each month since the facility's opening.

Robert Jenrick: Home Office does not hold the data in the format requested.

Undocumented Migrants: Albania

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has had recent discussions with their Albanian counterparts on the return of Albanian illegal migrants to Albania.

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how her Department plans to return Albanian migrants who are in the UK illegally when the movements of those migrants are not limited or tracked while in the UK.

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Albanian government on the direct and expedited return of Albanian illegal migrants to Albania.

Robert Jenrick: We continue to work extremely closely with our Albanian partners on a range of issues and are committed to building on our co-operation to date, including on tackling illegal migration. That includes the excellent operational collaboration with Albanian law enforcement, and our readmissions agreement signed last year. Since it was signed, we have seen over 1,000 Albanian foreign national offenders and immigration offenders removed from the UK, including some who crossed the channel illegally to come to the UK.The UK and Albania pledged to fast track the removal of Albanians with no right to be in the UK wherever possible, and to send senior Albanian law enforcement to the UK to speed up processing and share information with our authorities. In co-operation with the Government of Albania, we are taking every opportunity to intercept the activities of organised criminal gangs and people smugglers, and speed up the removal of Albanians and other nationals with no right to be in the UK.We do face complex challenges to our efforts to facilitate the entirely legitimate and legal return of people in the UK, such as travel documentation, late appeals and other legal challenges aimed at frustrating removals. Most individuals are managed outside of detention using a variety of contact methods, including frequent reporting, and tagging as a condition of immigration bail whilst these challenges are resolved, however detention can, and will also be used, where appropriate. We are looking to address some of these challenges through our Sovereign Borders plan, which aims to remove more easily those with no right to be in the UK.

Asylum: Temporary Accommodation

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her planned timetable is for the publication of a specific safeguarding framework which will provide specific safeguarding to all vulnerable service users in asylum accommodation.

Robert Jenrick: The welfare of vulnerable asylum seekers in our care is of the utmost importance to the Home Office. We have worked closely with providers and stakeholders to develop a safeguarding assurance framework which is available at Asylum support contracts safeguarding framework - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). The Asylum Support Contracts Safeguarding Framework is a supplementary document to others that are publicly available. The framework is designed to provide a high-level overview of the responsibilities of all parties and is to be read in conjunction with the safeguarding elements of the Accommodation and Support Contracts (AASC) - Schedule 2 - and the Advice, Issue Reporting and Eligibility Contract (AIRE) - AIRE Contract. These contracts were designed with safeguarding of the individual at their heart. In addition to the existing contract governance and stakeholder engagement, a joint safeguarding board has been established between the department and its providers to oversee progress on all aspects of safeguarding work. Furthermore, a national safeguarding forum has been established with local authorities to discuss safeguarding across the contracts and help develop and share best practice.

Asylum: Community Relations

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of using hotels to house asylum seekers on local community cohesion.

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of using hotels to house asylum seekers in Great Yarmouth constituency on the tourism sector in that constituency.

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of using multiple hotels within close proximity to each other to house asylum seekers on local communities.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office has a statutory obligation to provide accommodation and other support to asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute while their application for asylum is being considered.The significant increase in dangerous journeys across the Channel is placing unprecedented strain on our asylum system and it has made it necessary to continue to use hotels to accommodate some asylum seekers. The use of hotels is a short-term solution and we are working hard with local authorities to find appropriate accommodation.Community cohesion is an important aspect of using sites successfully and we would like to work with the Council and relevant stakeholders to understand and act to your concerns as appropriate. I would advise that the next multi agency meeting is used to raise these concerns and we can understand how to work collaboratively in managing this situation.

Detention Centres: Infectious Diseases

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to prevent people in immigration centres with infectious diseases from being moved to other locations.

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what processes her Department has in place to share data with (a) contractors, (b) the Department of Health and Social Care, (c) directors of public health, (d) local authorities and (e) the UK Health Security Agency for the (i) prevention, (ii) treatment and (iii) containment of infectious diseases in immigration centres.

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish the infection control protocols of all Home Office private contractors running immigration centres.

Robert Jenrick: The safety and health of people in the immigration detention estate is of the utmost importance. The Home Office has robust contingency plans in place and follows national guidance issued by UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Public Health Scotland (PHS) and the National Health Service, including advice on preventing and controlling infectious disease outbreaks in prisons and other prescribed places of detention.In addition, all immigration removal centres (IRCs), residential short-term holding facilities (RSTHF) and holding rooms operated by private contractors have communicable disease contingency plans, based on UKHSA advice. The detail of these contingency plans varies depending on the size, nature and infrastructure of the facility and will include guidance on sharing data with relevant partners such as IRC contractors, healthcare providers and UKHSA.All IRCs have dedicated health facilities run by doctors and nurses which are managed by the NHS or appropriate providers. All receptions into IRCs receive an assessment within two hours by a nurse and are offered a doctor’s appointment within 24 hours. In line with UKHSA guidance, measures such as protective isolation are considered on a case by case basis to minimise the risk of infectious diseases spreading to vulnerable groups in the immigration detention estate or into the community if the individual is released. In RSTHFs and holding rooms operated by private contractors where there is a healthcare presence, any communicable diseases identified are notified to UKHSA or PHS by medical professionals, as appropriate, and wherever possible the individual is temporarily isolated from the main population.

Asylum: Applications

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) applications for asylum were submitted and (b) decisions on asylum applications were made in (i) 2019, (ii) 2020, (iii) 2021 and (iv) 2022 to date.

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum applications are outstanding in (a) Newport East constituency and (b) the UK; and what is the average wait time for an asylum (i) interview and (ii) decision in (A) Newport East constituency and (B) the UK.

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of applications for asylum that were submitted in (a) the UK and (b) Newport East constituency in (i) 2019, (ii) 2020 and (iii) 2021 are outstanding as of 2 November 2022.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on asylum applications are published in table Asy_D01, data on initial decisions on asylum applications are published in table Asy_D02, and data on asylum applications awaiting an initial decision are published in table Asy_D03 of the ‘asylum and resettlement detailed datasets’. Information on how to use the datasets can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbooks. The latest data relates to the year ending June 2022. Data for July 2022 to the end of September 2022 is set to be published on 24 November 2022.Data on outcome analysis on asylum applications raised in a specific period are published in table Asy_D04 of the ‘asylum and resettlement detailed datasets’. Information on how to use the datasets can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbooks. The latest data relates to 2021. Data for 2022 will be published in 2023.Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.Whilst we hold data on the current addresses of asylum claimants, the Home Office is unable to state how many asylum claims from people in Newport East constituency have been submitted and are outstanding as of 02 November 2022 or what the average wait time is for an asylum interview or decision in Newport East constituency, or the UK as this information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost because it would require a manual search through individual records.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 29 April 2021 to Question 187268 on Immigration: EU Nationals, which of the following bodies have the capability to conduct system to system checks of immigration status: (a) NHS Scotland, (b) Health and Social Care (HSC) in Northern Ireland, (c) the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland, (d) the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and v(e) local authorities in England, Wales and Scotland.

Robert Jenrick: The Department for Communities in Northern Ireland (d) and Local Authorities in England, Wales and Scotland (e) administering benefits on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions are able to conduct system to system checks. The process was established as part of the deployment of an Application Programming Interface (API) to the Department for Work and Pensions.NHS Scotland (a), Health and Social Care (HSC) in Northern Ireland (b) and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (e) do not have the capability to conduct system to system checks.Work is underway to expand the Recourse to Public Funds API to Local Authorities who are members of the No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) Connect network.We would be pleased to work with any government department, agency or public body to implement similar checking services to support their statutory duties. Those organisations who do not wish to establish APIs will be able to use the Home Office’s online status services to confirm an EU national’s immigration status.

Detention Centres: Manston

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) women, (b) people aged over 60 and (c) children are in Manston asylum processing centre as of 31 October 2022.

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent estimate she has made of the average time a person seeking asylum in the UK will spend at Manston processing centre.

Robert Jenrick: The data is not held in the requested format.

Detention Centres: Manston

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many times she has (a) met and (b) spoken to the leadership of UK Border Force on the situation at Manston asylum centre.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Secretary and Ministers meet regularly with all senior leaders across Home Office, including the Senior Leadership of Border Force, to discuss key priorities which includes the situation at Manston.The Home Office is committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all staff and people in the Home Office’s care and an operational team has been stood up to increase the accommodation at Manston on a temporary and emergency basis.The Home Office is working on longer-term cost-effective and practical alternative places where migrants can be safely accommodated.

Detention Centres: Manston

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to visit Manston asylum processing centre.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Secretary continues to be actively engaged with officials both on the ground at Manston and across the Department, prioritising the safety and wellbeing of staff and those people in our care, and pursuing suitable longer-term accommodation options.

Detention Centres: Manston

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been held for (a) less than 24 hours, (b) between 24 and 48 hours and (c) longer than 48 hours at the Manston Short-term Holding Facility in the latest period for which data is available.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office is working at pace to move people to appropriate alternative accommodation.Due to the ever changing situation we are unable to provide data at this time as it would be unreliable.

Members: Correspondence

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Liverpool Walton, reference MPAM/0448152/22, what the technical issue is that is delaying his constituent's case; and whether this technical issue has affected any other applications made to her Department.

Robert Jenrick: The technical issue that caused a delay in the issuing of the customers BRP has now been resolved and the BRP is in process. This was a one off technical issue due to human error which has not affected any other applications.

Passports: Christchurch

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of when the application for an adult passport made by a resident of Christchurch constituency on 21 April 2022 with reference PEX 3534276509 will be processed; and for what reason there has been a delay.

Robert Jenrick: It is not His Majesty’s Passport Office practice to discuss individual cases in the public domain.

Travel Requirements: Republic of Ireland

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if citizens resident in the Republic of Ireland will be exempted from the requirement to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation in order to cross the border into Northern Ireland; and whether they will be excluded from plans for the biometric enrolment of non-Irish foreign nationals visiting the UK.

Robert Jenrick: Irish citizens will not be required to obtain an ETA.All other non- British and non-Irish nationals arriving in the UK, including those crossing the land border into Northern Ireland, need to enter in line with the UK’s immigration framework: this will include the requirement to obtain an ETA when it is introduced. However, as now, the UK will not operate routine immigration controls on journeys from within the Common Travel Area, with no immigration controls whatsoever on the Ireland-Northern Ireland land border.The UK is currently working with Ireland to consider whether there is scope for a workable UK/Ireland data-sharing solution to determine whether a person is a lawful resident of Ireland, and so could potentially be exempt from the ETA requirement for travel into the UK.

Undocumented Migrants: Housing

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she made of the (a) financial and (b) social challenges of redistributing potentially thousands of illegal immigrants in different regions of the UK.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office does not accommodate illegal migrants, but does have a statutory obligation to provide accommodation and other support to asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute while their application for asylum is being considered.

Asylum: York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has provided additional funding to City of York Council for the support of refugees who have been moved from the Manston immigration centre to York.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had recent discussions with agencies in York on the relocation of refugees to that city.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has had recent discussions with York City of Sanctuary on the arrival of refugees in York.

Robert Jenrick: Asylum seekers transferred from Manston to York have access to Migrant Help, a voluntary sector organisation funded by the Home Office, can use the NHS free of charge and are provided with other support to cover their essential living needs, in the same way as other asylum seekers accommodated by the Home Office. A consultation meeting was held with York LA and other stakeholders, including York City of Sanctuary on Thursday 3rd November to discuss the use of a site in the city for the accommodation of asylum seekers. Also represented at the meeting were representatives from health, education, police, fire service and the local Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS). Weekly meetings will be held to discuss the operating of this site up to it going live and beyond as well as sub groups to discuss more in depth issues such as health, policing, fire safety, VCS and education.

Asylum: Climate Change

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has taken steps to plan for the impact on its work of a potential increase in numbers of people seeking asylum in the UK because of the effect of climate change in their countries of origin.

Robert Jenrick: The UK recognises the need to better understand the complex links between migration, climate change and environmental degradation to inform our policy and action. Where relevant, all Government departments include climate change impact as part of their policy development and analysis.Initial analysis suggests that climate extremes and environmental degradation are often amplifiers of other principal migration drivers.Climate change is not covered in the Refugee Convention as grounds for a well-founded fear of persecution and we do not have any plans to broaden this definition. We recognise however, that climate change will increasingly become a significant factor in driving migration. For those who do not qualify for refugee status, we consider whether they are at risk of serious harm and are in need of protection on humanitarian grounds. This ensures that we do not remove anyone who faces persecution or serious harm on return to their country of origin. If protection is not required, we consider if there are any family or private life reasons, medical reasons or other exceptional circumstances that would warrant a grant of leave.

Asylum: Hotels

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many hotels in (a) the London Borough of Hounslow, (b) London, (c) Kent and (d) Sussex are in use by Clearsprings Ready Home for the provision of accommodation for asylum seekers.

Robert Jenrick: Home Office location records for hotels are not based on county/county Ccuncil boundaries, but rather on lower tier authorities.A response can be given for London by counting all the hotels in the contingency estate located within a London borough, but not for Kent or Sussex because the geographical county boundaries don’t necessarily match lower tier authority boundaries.The available information is given in the table below. LocationNo of HotelsHounslow7London80

Migrant Workers: Seasonal Workers

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government plans to loosen visa restrictions for seasonal temporary workers to tackle labour shortages.

Robert Jenrick: The Seasonal Worker route has been extended until 2024, with 40,000 visas available for 2022, consisting of 38,000 for horticulture and 2,000 for the poultry sector. The route has been extended to support our farmers growing fruit and vegetables as they adapt to changes in the UK labour market. The Government is keeping the position under close review.

Detention Centres: Manston

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has she made of the potential impact of overcrowding at Manston Processing Centre on people at that facility, including on the spread of infections.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office has increased the operating capacity of the facility as the number of individuals held on-site has increased.The facility provides suitable welfare provisions including hot food, fresh clothing, toilet facilities and sanitary packs. 24/7 medical care is provided and any instances of communicable disease are handled in line with public health guidance.

Visas: Overseas Students

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessments she has made of the potential merits of the proposals to expand the graduate visas to include International Medical Graduates such as GPs who have completed their training in the UK.

Robert Jenrick: The Graduate route is intended as a post-study work offer for international students who have successfully completed an eligible course in the UK. Unlike most students completing courses in the UK, International Medical Graduates (IMGs) are already working in their chosen profession with a clear career pathway ahead of them. It is therefore the case they should be sponsored by their employer under the Health and Care visa The Home Office have delivered a range of measures to support the health and care sector to recruit IMGs to work in the UK. The Home Office launched the Health & Care visa in 2020, which makes it easier, cheaper, and quicker for health workers – including international medical graduates - to come and stay in the UK to work compared to other immigration routes. The best way for the sector to retain IMGs is to drive up the number of GP surgeries that are Home Office approved sponsors. This will provide them with the ability to continue to renew their visa while living in the UK and to qualify for permanent settlement in due course. We are committed to ensuring sponsorship arrangements work for IMG GPs.

Detention Centres: Manston

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many under 18s have been kept at Manston Asylum Centre for longer than 24 hours in each of the last 12 months.

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Ukrainian nationals have been kept at Manston Asylum Centre for longer than 24 hours in each of the last 12 months.

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many women have been kept at Manston Asylum Centre for more than 24 hours in each of the last 12 months.

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people with pre-existing medical problems have been kept at Manston Asylum Centre for longer than 24 hours in each of the last 12 months.

Robert Jenrick: Home Office does not hold the data in the format requested

Detention Centres: Manston

Ms Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many children are held in the Manston asylum processing centre as of 1 November 2022.

Robert Jenrick: Home Office does not hold the data in the format requested.

Travel Requirements: Republic of Ireland

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether citizens resident in the Republic of Ireland will be exempted from the requirement to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation to cross the border into Northern Ireland.

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether Republic of Ireland citizens will be included in Government plans for the biometric enrolment of non-Irish foreign nationals visiting the UK.

Robert Jenrick: Irish citizens will not be required to obtain an ETA.All other non- British and non-Irish nationals arriving in the UK, including those crossing the land border into Northern Ireland, need to enter in line with the UK’s immigration framework: this will include the requirement to obtain an ETA when it is introduced. However, as now, the UK will not operate routine immigration controls on journeys from within the Common Travel Area, with no immigration controls whatsoever on the Ireland-Northern Ireland land border.The UK remains committed to working with Ireland to give consideration to whether there is scope for a workable UK/Ireland data-sharing solution to determine, whether a person is a lawful resident of Ireland, and so could potentially be exempt from the ETA requirement for travel into the UK.Irish citizens are not subject to immigration control and are not routinely required to enrol their biometrics.

Clearsprings Ready Homes: Contracts

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether provisions exist within her Department's contract with Clearsprings Ready Homes to (a) monitor and (b) revise the quality of accommodation that Clearsprings Ready Homes is contracted to provide for asylum seekers.

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what is the total value of the contract with Clearspring Ready Homes for the provision of accommodation for asylum seekers.

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the contract between the Home Office and Clearsprings Ready Homes for the provision of asylum accommodation, how often Clearspring ready Homes is required to inspect the quality of accommodation provided to asylum seekers.

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the contract between her Department and Clearsprings Ready Homes for the provision of asylum accommodation, how often Clearsprings Ready Homes is required to report back to her Department on the quality of accommodation.

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the required level of engagement with local authorities is on the provision of accommodation for asylum seekers under the contract between her Department and Clearsprings Ready Homes; and what steps her Department is taking to monitor this requirement.

Robert Jenrick: All Asylum Accommodation and Support Services contracts must adhere to the Asylum Accommodation and Support Schedule Statement of Requirements. An Environmental Impact Assessment was completed at the time the contracts were agreed. The contracts have resulted in significant investment in the accommodation estate and its itinerary – improved facilities in Initial Accommodation, clear requirements on room sharing and greater inventory in Dispersal AccommodationAsylum seekers can raise issues, provide feedback or make a complaint through Migrant Help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This service can be accessed by telephone, online webchat or in person at nominated sites. Migrant Help will then assign to the relevant party for response within strict contractual time frames. It is vital that individuals utilise this service to raise issues and complaints formally – this helps the department and our delivery partners to effectively identify areas for improvement and target provision enhancement activity to where it is needed most..All asylum properties are also inspected by our accommodation providers at least monthly. Additionally, our contract assurance team carries out targeted inspections, for example, targeting for inspection properties about which issues have been raised via Migrant Help. Our inspectors have procedures and tools to focus inspections on all relevant aspects of contract compliance. This investment is delivering benefits in assuring property management and standards.If accommodation providers have been found to have fallen short of the required standards then we can take action, including but not limited to the application of financial remedies.Details of the value of the contracts with Clearsprings Ready Homes are published on GOV.UK and can be found via the following linksWales AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract Wales - Contracts FinderSouth : AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract South - Contracts FinderEngagement with local authorities around the use of sites is paramount to the work we are doing, and we will always aim to provide as much notice as possible of our intention to use sites. However, this isn’t always possible due to the urgent requirements we have at times including when dealing with large numbers of asylum seeker arrivals..We offer regular and accurate communication with local officials through Multi agency forums. Amongst the other communication platforms available. We have a dedicated Engagement Team, to assist with any general concerns around sites and working together collaboratively.

Visas: Families

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the report by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration entitled Inspection report on family visitor visa applications July 2015, published on 16 July 2015, what steps her Department has taken to (a) help increase consistency in processing family visitor visas and (b) ensure that decision notices are balanced and clear.

Robert Jenrick: Since 2015, the Department has undergone a number of significant changes and improvements to help increase consistency in decision making and ensure that visit visa decision notices are balanced and fair.The Department has:o Moved to thematic visa decision making centres, focussed on specific routes so decision makers are not making decisions on multiple routes during a working day and can build up expertise.o Brought in modular training by immigration route which all decision makers must undertake.o Refreshed its risk strategy which focusses on the individual attributes of the customer and ensures that they are at the heart of everything it does.o Increased the use of technology to help drive consistency and feedback through more detailed data.The Department continues to review existing processes and develop new approaches in line with best practice and welcomes reviews of its processes and procedures from independent agencies and external bodies.

Asylum: Housing

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many complaints have been made by service users about the hygiene standards of accommodation provided by Clearsprings Ready Homes for asylum seekers.

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many complaints have been registered against Clearsprings Ready Homes in relation to that company's provision of accommodation for asylum seekers.

Robert Jenrick: All those residing in Home Office accommodation can raise complaints via Migrant Help 24/7 either by telephone, webchat or via the ‘Raise an Issue’ function on the customer portal. Our providers are obligated to respond to any complaints raised within 5 working days of receipt. Furthermore, if a provider fails to respond within this timeframe, or should an individual feel that a complaint has not been addressed to their satisfaction, they are able to raise the issue directly with the Home Office. We absolutely take seriously any complaints that are raised, acting accordingly to resolve the issue and prevent the issue arising in the future.We can confirm that in the month of October, Migrant Help raised a total of 348 complaints with Clearsprings Ready Homes on behalf of service users. Forty complaints were then escalated to the authority following initial response, for further review. We are unable, however, to identify the number of complaints specifically relating to ‘hygiene’ as this is not one of the categorisations used when recording this information.

Asylum: Housing

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many times officials at Public Health England have contacted officials at the Home Office to raise issues relating to hygiene at accommodation provided by Clearsprings Ready Homes.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office does not hold that information.

Asylum: Housing

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has conducted a review of the adequacy of accommodation provided by Clearspring Ready Homes in the last 12 months.

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to monitor the adequacy of accommodation for asylum seekers provided by Clearsprings Ready Homes.

Robert Jenrick: All Asylum Accommodation and Support Services contracts must adhere the Asylum Accommodation and Support Schedule Statement of Requirements.Asylum seekers can raise issues, provide feedback or make a complaint through Migrant Help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This service can be accessed by telephone, online webchat or in person at nominated sites. Migrant Help will then assign to the relevant party for response within strict contractual time frames. It is vital that individuals utilise this service to raise issues and complaints formally – this helps the department and our delivery partners to effectively identify areas for improvement and target provision enhancement activity to where it is needed most.All asylum properties are also inspected by our accommodation providers at least monthly. Additionally our contract assurance team carries out targeted inspections, for example, targeting for inspection properties about which issues have been raised via Migrant Help. Our inspectors have procedures and tools to focus inspections on all relevant aspects of contract compliance. This investment is delivering benefits in assuring property management and standards.

Clearsprings Ready Homes

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many meetings (a) Minister and (b) officials in her Department have had with Clearsprings Ready Homes in the last 12 months.

Robert Jenrick: All Asylum Accommodation and Support Services contracts must adhere to the Asylum Accommodation and Support Schedule Statement of Requirements.We meet with Clearsprings Ready Homes in scheduled quarterly and monthly meetings and engage on a daily basis to ensure we are meeting our statutory and contractual obligations.

Animal Experiments

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of launching an urgent inquiry into the death of animals in establishments licensed under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 as a result of failure to provide adequate food or water, as set out in the Animals in Science Regulation Unit’s annual reports for 2019-2021.

Chris Philp: The Government continues to be committed to assuring that animals used in science are protected by the legal framework.The Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) has published its compliance framework which identifies and investigates potential incidents of non-compliance and decides on appropriate and proportionate measures and remedies to minimise the risk of recurrence.All cases of non-compliance during 2019 to 2021 have been thoroughly investigated and the outcomes have been published in ASRU’s annual report.

Greater Manchester Police: Recruitment

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many additional police officers have been recruited by Greater Manchester Police since January 2020.

Chris Philp: As part of the Police Officer Uplift Programme, the Home Office publishes a quarterly update on the number of officers in England and Wales, broken down by Police Force Area since recruitment began in October 2019, the latest of which is available here:  Police Officer uplift statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)Table U2 of the data tables accompanying this quarterly publication provides a breakdown of these additional officers recruited from funding for the Police Uplift Programme by month since October 2019. In addition, Table U4 contains information on the total number of new recruits since the programme began, which includes those recruited to backfill leavers as well as those recruited as additional officers.As at 30 September 2022, Greater Manchester Police have recruited 804 additional police officers attributable to the Police Uplift Programme. This is against an allocation to recruit 1,155 additional police officers by March 2023.

Refugees: Age

Mohammad Yasin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the (a) ethical and (b) scientific considerations of the use of x-rays of verify the age of child refugees.

Robert Jenrick: In December 2021, the Home Office set up an independent Age Estimation Science Advisory Committee to provide the Home Office Chief Scientific Adviser with independent advice – including scientific and associated ethical advice and guidance on existing and emerging scientific approaches that could be utilised for the purpose of age assessment. We are considering advice from this Committee and other sources. No official decisions have been made about if and how to implement scientific methods.The use of X-rays specifically is regulated by the Justification of Practices Involving Ionising Radiation Regulations 2004, which requires that any practices involving the use of ionising radiation be justified on the basis that the individual or societal benefit of that practice outweighs the health detriment it may cause. Any use of X-rays for age assessment purposes will therefore be contingent on the appropriate approvals being met under these regulations.

Detention Centres: Manston

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that people leaving Manston Immigration Processing Center are provided with (a) food and (b) warm clothing.

Robert Jenrick: Our reception and processing facilities provide suitable welfare provisions, including hot food, fresh clothing, toilet facilities, sanitary packs and medical care. The welfare of those in our care is of the utmost importance and people are only released from Manston when we have assurances that they have accommodation to go to.

Detention Centres: Manston

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the causes of the spread of disease at the Manston asylum centre.

Robert Jenrick: Crossing the Channel is often part of an extended international journey. People arrive tired, cold, in wet clothing and may not have eaten during their journey. Our reception and processing facilities provide suitable welfare provisions, including hot food, fresh clothing, toilet facilities, sanitary packs and medical care.

Asylum: Temporary Accommodation

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers are in (a) initial and (b) temporary hotel accommodation.

Robert Jenrick: The number of asylum seekers accommodated in each local authority, although not broken down into hotels or other accommodation, can be found at Asylum and resettlement datasets - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).The latest publication (March 2022) can be found here Asylum and resettlement datasets - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk), under the document Asylum seekers in receipt of support (second edition).The data published at the end of June have been recently removed and are being investigated. An update will be provided in the next Immigration Statistics release.

Refugees: Pupils

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking with the Secretary of State for Education, to help place refugee children in local schools.

Robert Jenrick: Children of compulsory school age must receive full-time education. Parents have a statutory duty to see that their children receive a full-time education and local authorities are under a duty to provide suitable school places.The Government provides funding to enable local authorities, schools and health partners to provide vulnerable refugees with a safe environment and the chance to rebuild their lives.

Asylum: Housing

Paul Girvan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average daily cost was for the provision of housing for people awaiting the processing of their asylum application in the last 12 months.

Robert Jenrick: Costs are subject to change depending on numbers being accommodated within the asylum system. Accommodation costs are considered to be commercially confidential, therefore the Home Office does not publish this information. However, total expenditure on asylum is published in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ho-annual-reports-and-accounts (opens in a new tab).

Members: Correspondence

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to the correspondence from the Rt hon. Member for East Ham of 19 August 2022, reference ST97604.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office responded to the correspondence on 3 November 2022.

Asylum: Rwanda

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers have been deported to Rwanda since 1 January 2022.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office publishes statistics on the number of returns from the UK in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’. The latest data on asylum-related returns from the UK, broken down by type of return including enforced returns, of which deportations are a subset, are published in table Ret_05 of the ‘Returns Summary Tables’. The latest data on returns from the UK by return destination country are published in table Ret_D02 of the ‘Returns Detailed Tables’, which can be broken down by return type group. The latest data go up to the end of March 2022.

Immigration Controls: Biometrics

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether UK Electronic Travel Authorisation applicants entering Northern Ireland from the Republic of Ireland will be required to submit biometric information upon entry into the UK.

Robert Jenrick: Irish citizens will not be required to obtain an ETA.As is currently the case, individuals arriving in the UK, including those crossing the land border into Northern Ireland, will need to continue to enter in line with the UK’s immigration framework, including the requirement to obtain an ETA when it is introduced. The ETA scheme will apply to those visiting the UK or transiting through the UK who do not currently need a visa for short stays or do not have any other immigration status before travelling. This requirement will not apply to British or Irish citizens.Our long-term aim is that all visitors and migrants to the UK will provide both their face and fingerprint biometrics under a single global immigration system. As part of the ETA application process, applicants will be required to submit their biometrics. At the outset, however, we will only require facial images from ETA applicants, until such time as there is a technological solution which will allow them to self-upload fingerprints of the required quality, as we will not require them to visit a visa application centre to give their fingerprints.

Refugees: Afghanistan

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of the people who were evacuated from Afghanistan in 2021 are in hotel accommodation as of 2 November 2022.

Robert Jenrick: Through Operation Warm Welcome, Afghans resettling in the UK under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) and Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) are being supported in accessing accommodation alongside the vital health, education, and support into employment they need, to fully integrate into society.As stated in the recently published, 'Afghan Resettlement: Operational Data' factsheet, at 12 Aug 2022:The UK has welcomed 21,450 people to the UK from Afghanistan - or a neighbouring country - since June 2021.Of these, around 15,000 individuals were evacuated during the Operation Pitting military evacuation in August 2021.Since the end of Op PITTING, we have brought around 5,000 more individuals, affected by the crisis in Afghanistan, to the UK.The UK is currently providing temporary accommodation for 9,667 people in hotels while they await settled accommodation.The factsheet will be updated every quarter – with the next iteration scheduled for publication on 24 November 2022.The Home Office will also include Afghan resettlement statistics in its quarterly Immigration Statistics publications, in due course.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Social Rented Housing: Rents

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of trends in the level of rent arrears owed to social housing providers on their ability to invest in new homes.

Lucy Frazer: The Regulator of Social Housing's quarterly survey for April to June 2022 (which is based on regulatory returns from private registered providers and private registered provider groups who own or manage more than 1,000 homes) reports that mean current tenant arrears stood at 3.6% at the end of June 2022. The equivalent figures for June of 2019, 2020 and 2021 were 3.5%, 4.0% and 3.5% respectively.The quarterly survey also reports that, in the 12 months to June 2022, £12.4 billion was invested by private registered providers in the acquisition and development of housing properties. This compares to £11.6 billion in the year to June 2021, and £11.1 billion in the year to June 2020.The Local Authority Housing Statistics (LAHS) for 2020/21 show total arrears for current tenants at 4.5% of the total rent roll. The same figure for 2019/20 is 4.0% and for 2018/19 it is 3.7%. Meanwhile, the local authority sector delivered (including new builds and acquisitions) 6,811 homes in 2018/19, 7,910 homes in 2019/20 and 7,119 homes during the pandemic in 2020/21.We have given councils a range of tools to support them to deliver more social housing, including greater freedom in how they can spend the money they receive from Right to Buy sales on replacement homes and the removal of the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) borrowing cap in 2018 enabling local authorities to borrow for building.

Members: Correspondence

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he plans to respond to the letter of 15 August 2022 from the hon. Member for Greenwich and Woolwich on his constituent's case, reference 18093512.

Lucy Frazer: A response to the Hon Member was issued on 9 November 2022.

Housing: Construction

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he taking to avoid concentrating new housing investment in areas already facing shortages of services and infrastructure from rapid development.

Lucy Frazer: We are committed to enabling more homes to be built in the right places, and that is why we are taking steps in our Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill to get more local plans in place to deliver infrastructure in co-ordination with new homes. To make sure these homes are supported by appropriate infrastructure and services, we are introducing a new Infrastructure Levy to replace Section 106 obligations and the Community Infrastructure Levy.We will also require local authorities to prepare infrastructure delivery strategies to ensure the right balance between delivering homes and infrastructure. This will build on policies we have already enacted in the National Planning Policy Framework, which set an expectation that local plan policies should make sufficient provision for housing, commercial development, infrastructure and community facilities.

Rented Housing: Students

Mary Kelly Foy: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made a recent assessment of the impact of trends in the number of University students on the (a) price and (b) availability of rental properties (i) in Durham and (ii) nationally.

Felicity Buchan: The Department does not currently assess the impact of the trends of university students on rental price and availability.

Leasehold

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to give leaseholders the right to manage their properties.

Lucy Frazer: Many leaseholders already have a statutory right to take over management of their properties, under the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002. Earlier this year we consulted on proposals that would give leaseholders living in buildings with up to 50% non-residential floorspace new rights to manage their property, and we will respond in due course. Legislation will be announced in the usual way.

Private Rented Housing: Students

Mary Kelly Foy: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to ensure properties in the private student rental sector meet a habitable standard.

Felicity Buchan: The Government has taken significant action over the past decade to protect all tenants, including students. We have improved standards by requiring landlords to provide smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, as well as conduct electrical safety checks.The Government published a White Paper on 16 June 2022 setting out our plans to reform the private rented sector.

Homes for Ukraine Scheme

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he has taken with the Secretary of State for the Home Department to find (a) new hosts and (b) alternative accommodation for Ukrainian refugees whose initial family placement has ended.

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent estimate his Department has made of the cost to local authorities of finding accommodation for Ukrainian refugees whose initial family placement have come to an end in the latest period for which data is available.

Felicity Buchan: We have provided funding per arrival to councils to enable them to provide support to individuals and families. This is un-ringfenced, which allows councils to use the funding as best suits the local area, including measures to support guests during and post the initial six months of sponsorship.On the question of finding hosts and accommodation for Ukrainian guests, I refer the Hon. Member to Question UIN69812 answered on the 1 November 2022.

Housing First: West Midlands

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much funding was allocated to the West Midlands Combined Authority as part of his Department's Housing First Pilot.

Felicity Buchan: West Midlands Combined Authority have been allocated £9.6 million for their Housing First sub-regional pilot from the launch of the pilot in May 2018 until financial year 23/24, with the final pilot evaluation due at the end of 2023.Funding has also been secured in the last year of the Spending Review, up to March 2025, through the Rough Sleeping Initiative. Each local authority involved in the pilot will operate independently of the combined authority and will be funded separately.

Sleeping Rough: Solihull

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much funding has been allocated top Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council as part of his Department's Rough Sleeping Initiative.

Felicity Buchan: Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council have been allocated £703,275 for their Rough Sleeping Initiative 22-25 allocation. This funding spans a three-year period, building on past successes whilst providing Solihull with certainty and allowing them to deliver locally tailored rough sleeping services to give those in need the best chance of a safe and sustainable life off the streets. Solihull Metropolitan Brough Council also benefits from further Rough Sleeping Initiative funding through the West Midlands Combined Authority. WMCA were allocated £1,491,707 to provide further support to the seven local authorities that make up WMCA.

British National (Overseas): West Midlands

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department holds data on the financial allocations awarded to organisations in the West Midlands as part of the Hong Kong British National (Overseas) Welcome Programme.

Felicity Buchan: In April 2021 the department launched a new UK-wide Welcome Programme to support BN(O) status holders. Through the Programme's voluntary, community, and social enterprise grant scheme we have awarded funding to four organisations in the West Midlands totalling £252,802. This covers two financial years of support, with current contracts due to end in March 2023. The full list of funded organisations and their project summaries can be found on GOV.UK here.

Housing First: West Midlands

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the performance of the Housing First pilot in the West Midlands.

Felicity Buchan: We commissioned a consortium, led by ICF, to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the three sub-regional Housing First pilots. The final report is due at the end of 2023.The evaluation programme includes a process evaluation, quantitative assessment of client outcomes, a cost-benefit analysis, and a programme of assessments, undertaken by Homeless Link, to review each pilot's fidelity with the seven Housing First principles developed by Housing First England for the England context.Four reports have been published to date, all of which reflect on the progress made in the West Midlands. These can be found here.

Planning Obligations: Enforcement

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has had discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on increasing the resources of local planning authorities to help enforce planning obligations.

Lucy Frazer: In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed.

Housing: Construction

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of top down national housing targets.

Lucy Frazer: I refer my Rt. Hon. Friend to the answer to Question UIN 74588, answered on the 8th November 2022.

Leasehold: Reform

Wendy Morton: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent progress his Department has been made on (a) leasehold reform and (b) the reform of leasehold extension (enfranchisement).

Lucy Frazer: The Government has committed to making enfranchisement cheaper for leaseholders by reforming the process of valuation leaseholders must follow to calculate the cost of extending their lease or buying their freehold.The Government has already legislated via the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022 to protect future leaseholders and we are due to bring forward further leasehold reforms later in this Parliament

Leasehold: Insurance

Aaron Bell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the findings of the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) review into the building insurance market for multiple-occupancy residential buildings, what recent discussions the Government has had with the FCA on potential changes to that authority’s powers to intervene on broker remuneration on business insurance rates.

Lee Rowley: I refer my Hon. Friend to the answer to Question UIN 74972, answered on the 8th November 2022.Further to the answer given to PQ 74972, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed.

Buildings: Safety

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on ensuring UK-wide developers fulfil commitments to (a) remediate and (b) pay for historic fire and building safety defects.

Lee Rowley: The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities discussed respective approaches to building safety with Ministers from all governments on 24 May 2022. Officials have continued regular engagement on shared building safety issues. An update on progress will be discussed at the next meeting of the Interministerial Group.

Council Tax: Energy Bills Rebate

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department holds data on the number of households in England that have received the Council Tax rebate.

Lee Rowley: Monitoring data for the delivery of the council tax rebate up to the end of September 2022 is available here. An update will be published in due course.

Elections: Proof of Identity

Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make it his policy to launch a publicity campaign on the introduction of new requirements for Voter ID for (a) local and (b) Parliamentary elections.

Lee Rowley: Yes. The national communications campaign for voter identification is the responsibility of the Electoral Commission, including coordination of campaigns and supporting outreach and roll-out via partners. The Commission and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities will work to ensure plans and timelines for communications and guidance can be aligned. The Government will continue working constructively with charities and civil society organisations to help people understand these changes and make sure that voter identification works for everyone.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Redundancy Pay

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he accepted the full severance payment to which he was entitled on leaving his post on 6 July 2022.

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether the Rt. hon Member for Tunbridge Wells accepted the full severance payment to which he was entitled on leaving his post on 7 September 2022.

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether the Rt. hon Member for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland accepted the full severance payment to which he was entitled on leaving his post on 25 October 2022.

Lee Rowley: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer to Question UIN 77560 on 8 November 2022.

Domestic Visits: Batley and Spen

Kim Leadbeater: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2022 to Question 72503 on Domestic Visits: Batley and Spen, when he plans to visit Batley and Spen constituency to discuss levelling up.

Dehenna Davison: I refer the Hon Member to my answer to Questions UIN 72503 . Officials have contacted the Hon Member’s office to progress arrangements.

Levelling Up Fund: Northern Ireland

Paul Girvan: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when the next round of awards from the Levelling Up Fund for Northern Ireland will be announced.

Dehenna Davison: All bids submitted to the second round of the Levelling Up Fund are being assessed in line with our published guidance. We will announce the successful bids in due course.

Coal: Regeneration

Chris Elmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on plans for regeneration of coalfield communities in the next five years.

Dehenna Davison: In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed. This Government is, however, committed to levelling up the UK by spreading opportunity more equally across the country, investing in places that need it most, including coalfield communities. Several former coalfield communities are benefiting from our Towns Fund, including Goldthorpe and Mansfield which have Town Deals running until 2025/26. Through our Community Ownership Fund, coalfield communities can apply for funding to save assets like local pubs, shops and sports clubs from closure - like the CANA resource and training centre in Rhondda Cynon Taf which received funding in Round 1.

Social Rented Housing: Shared Ownership

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the consultation entitled Social housing rents consultation, published on 31 August 2022, whether it is his policy to include people who pay rent under shared ownership schemes in those proposals.

Felicity Buchan: The consultation on social housing rents closed on 12 October 2022. We will respond in due course, including with any policy announcements.

Scotland Office

Offshore Industry: Scotland

David Mundell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps his Department is taking to promote the importance of oil and gas jobs to Scotland.

Mr Alister Jack: It is vital that we make the most of our North Sea oil and gas resources. This will maintain the security of the UK’s energy supply, produce significantly lower emissions than imported alternatives and support tens of thousands of jobs across Scotland. The Government is therefore committed to Scotland’s oil and gas sector and maximising the potential of our offshore reserves.

Northern Ireland Office

Question

Dame Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the status of talks with (a) the European Union and (b) political parties in Northern Ireland on the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of political parties in Northern Ireland on the progress of negotiations on the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Chris Heaton-Harris: I have regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues and Northern Ireland political leaders on Northern Ireland matters, including the Protocol.The Government is engaging in constructive dialogue with the EU to find solutions to the problems the Protocol is causing. We are also proceeding with legislation that aims to fix these problems in the event we cannot reach a negotiated solution.

Question

Carol Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of (a) EU member states and (b) political parties in Northern Ireland on the potential impact of the Northern Ireland Protocol on the upcoming Northern Ireland Assembly election.

Chris Heaton-Harris: I have regular discussions with Northern Ireland political leaders on Northern Ireland matters, including the Protocol and recently met with the Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney.The people of Northern Ireland need a stable and accountable government as soon as possible.

Question

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, when he plans to hold elections for the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Chris Heaton-Harris: I refer the Hon Member to the Oral Statement I made on this subject earlier today.

UK Internal Trade: Northern Ireland and Wales

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Wales on the effectiveness of the trade links between Northern Ireland and Wales.

Mr Steve Baker: Trade within the UK internal market is vital to our economic prosperity and is a key part of the Government's commitment to strengthening the Union, bringing us closer together. Trade across the Irish Sea with Scotland, Wales and England account for nearly sixty percent of Northern Ireland’s total external trade. Trade between Wales and Northern Ireland is important to the success of both economies, and the Government remains committed to strengthening these routes, to level up all parts of the United Kingdom. We are also committed to boosting overseas exports from Northern Ireland, and the Department for International Trade has established a hub in Northern Ireland to assist businesses to export. Invest NI, the Department for International Trade and the Northern Ireland Office will do everything they can to promote Northern Ireland's excellent goods and services.

Treasury

Energy: Taxation

Sarah Olney: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the amount of tax revenue that has been offset by the Investment Allowance of the Energy Profits Levy since it was introduced in May 2022.

James Cartlidge: No estimate has been made to date of the amount of tax revenue that has been offset by the Investment Allowance of the Energy Profits Levy since it was introduced in May 2022 as HMRC does not hold monthly information on qualifying capital expenditure by oil and gas companies. In addition, the first receipts from Energy Profits Levy are expected later this year.

Businesses: VAT

Stephen Farry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of reducing the £85,000 VAT threshold for businesses.

Victoria Atkins: The Government recognises that accounting for VAT can be a burden on small businesses. This is why at £85,000 the UK has a higher VAT registration threshold than any EU Member State and the second highest in the OECD. This keeps the majority of UK businesses out of VAT altogether.In 2018, the Government consulted on how the design of the VAT registration threshold could better incentivise growth. However, there was no clear option for reform, and it was announced at Budget 2021 that the VAT threshold will be maintained at its current level of £85,000 until 31 March 2024.

Health: Screening

Feryal Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an estimate of the level of tax revenues that have been received from the benefit-in-kind tax applied to private health screenings for employees in each of the last 10 years.

Victoria Atkins: HMRC publishes information on taxable benefits in kind here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/taxable-benefits-in-kind-and-expenses-payments-statistics Table 4.5 of the 2019 publication provides the number of recipients, taxable value and Income Tax and National Insurance liability of private medical and dental benefits in kind, covering tax year 2009 to 2010 to tax year 2017 to 2018. This publication can be found in the National Archives here: https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20191203084326/https:/www.gov.uk/government/statistics/number-of-recipients-and-amounts-of-taxable-benefits-by-type-of-benefit In 2020 the scope of HMRC’s taxable benefits in kind statistics was restricted to company cars (and company car fuel) only. This decision was made because the increased uptake of payrolling had substantially reduced the completeness of the data on which statistics for other benefits were based.

Hygiene: Poverty

Steve McCabe: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to help people who have fallen into hygiene poverty and cannot afford basic necessities such as soap and toothpaste with the exception of removing VAT on goods.

Steve McCabe: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the zero rate of VAT applied to women's sanitary products since 1 January 2021, what additional steps his Department is taking to ensure that women can access and afford sanitary products in light of the rising cost of living.

Steve McCabe: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department has taken since to ensure that women can access and afford sanitary products, since the introduction of the zero rate of VAT, in the context of the rising cost of living.

Victoria Atkins: A zero rate of VAT has applied to women’s sanitary products since 1 January 2021. This applies to those products which were previously subject to the reduced rate of 5 per cent, for example, tampons and pads, and to reusable menstrual products, such as keepers. The zero rate will ensure that every woman that needs Period protection during their monthly cycle will now have access to a variety of zero-rated products on which they had previously paid a 5 per cent rate of VAT. Although there are currently no plans to remove VAT on all personal hygiene products, the Government keeps all taxes under review and welcomes representations to help inform future decisions on tax policy, as part of the tax policy making cycle and Budget process. The Government recognises the pressures that families across the UK are currently facing with the cost of living. The Energy Price Guarantee is a scheme that will cap the unit price households pay for electricity and gas, which means that a typical household in Great Britain will have to pay bills equivalent to no more than £2500 a year on their energy bills between October 22 and April 23. A review will be launched to consider more targeted measures to support households with their energy bills after this period.

Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the recovery of historic tax credit overpayments is taken into account in the Government's projected revenue and expenditure plans.

Victoria Atkins: The expenditure forecast for personal tax credits, published by the Office for Budget Responsibility, is produced on a cash basis. As such it includes cash movements such as recoveries of previous overpayments.

Defibrillators: VAT

Kim Leadbeater: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of removing VAT on defibrillators.

Victoria Atkins: Automated External Defibrillators (AED) save lives, which is why the Government has taken action to boost their provision. The Government provides support to aid the purchase of AEDs through VAT refunds on purchases made by local authorities and VAT reliefs for purchases made through voluntary contributions, where the AED is donated to eligible charities or the NHS. Otherwise, they attract the standard rate of VAT.The Government is continuing to look at what more can be done. The Department of Health and Social Care are examining whether there are ways to further expand public access to defibrillators.Introducing any new VAT reliefs would come at a cost to the Exchequer and any changes should be seen in the context of over £50 billion worth of requests for relief from VAT received since the EU referendum. Given this, there are no plans to change the current VAT treatment on defibrillators. However, the Government keeps all taxes under constant review.

Alcoholic Drinks and Food: VAT

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of a reduction of VAT on all sales of alcohol and food to protect pubs during the cost of living crisis.

Victoria Atkins: The VAT reduced rate for the hospitality sector was a temporary measure designed to support the cash flow and viability of sectors that have been severely affected by COVID-19. It was appropriate that as restrictions were lifted and demand for goods and services in these sectors increased, the temporary tax reliefs were first reduced and then removed. There are no current plans to reduce the rate of VAT on food or alcohol. VAT is the UK’s third largest tax, and is forecast to raise £154 billion in 2022/23, helping to fund key spending priorities. In addition, this request should be viewed in the context of over £50 billion of requests for relief from VAT received since the EU referendum. Nevertheless, the Government keeps all taxes under review. The Government understands that many businesses, including pubs, are suffering as a result of the energy crisis. Through the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, the Government will provide a discount on wholesale gas and electricity prices for all non-domestic consumers until 31 March 2023. The Government intends to provide targeted support to the most vulnerable businesses after this winter. The Government has also introduced a new draught relief from 1 August 2022 as part of its reform of alcohol duties. This provides a lower duty rate for alcohol that is sold in pubs, provided it fulfils the eligibility criteria of being below 8.5% ABV and sold in containers of 20 litres or more. It will mean, for example, that the duty rate for eligible beer and cider will be approximately 5% lower than the standard rate and will therefore provide long-term support for pubs.

Small Businesses: Business Rates

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of a complete temporary suspension of business rates in order to protect small businesses during the cost of living crisis.

Victoria Atkins: The Final Report of the Business Rates Review was published at Autumn Budget 2021. The report reaffirmed the importance of business rates for raising revenue for essential local services, and announced a package of changes worth almost £7 billion over the next 5 years, including: A freeze in the multiplier for 2022-23, a tax cut worth £4.6 billion over the next 5 years;A new temporary 50 per cent relief for retail, hospitality and leisure in 2022-23, worth up to £110,000 per business and providing almost £1.7 billion to the sector. Together with Small Business Rates Relief, this means over 90 per cent of retail, hospitality and leisure businesses will receive at least a 50 per cent reduction in their business rates bills in 2022-23;Help for businesses to improve their premises and go green through a new exemption for onsite renewable energy generation and storage, which will now take effect from 2022 until 2035. Announcements on Business Rates for the upcoming financial year will be made in due course.

Russia: Sanctions

Mr Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the cost is of maintaining and servicing assets seized under the sanctions regime related to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Andrew Griffith: HM Treasury does not have powers to seize assets under the Russia sanctions regime, and so incurs no costs in maintaining or servicing assets. The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, part of HM Treasury, is responsible for implementing financial sanctions in the UK. Where the financial sanction is an asset freeze, it is generally prohibited to:• deal with the frozen funds or economic resources, belonging to or owned, held or controlled by a designated person• make funds or economic resources available, directly or indirectly, to, or for the benefit of, a designated person• engage in actions that, directly or indirectly, circumvent the financial sanctions prohibitions The funds and economic resources are to be frozen immediately by the person in possession or control of them. An asset freeze does not involve a change in ownership of the frozen funds or economic resources, nor are they confiscated or transferred to HM Treasury for safekeeping.

Betting and Investment: Unfair Practices

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will introduce legislative proposals to extend the remit of the Financial Ombudsman Service to allow judgements on the fairness of terms and conditions of (a) spread betting accounts and (b) other complex investment products.

Andrew Griffith: The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) can and does consider complaints about spread betting or derivatives and complex investments. Whether a particular case is covered will depend on its usual considerations of jurisdiction. The FOS covers complaints about regulated activities by firms that are authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The rules on how the FOS should handle complaints, including its jurisdiction, are determined by the FCA and set out in the Dispute Resolution (DISP) rules in the FCA Handbook. Any assessment of terms and conditions by the FOS will involve consideration of what is fair and reasonable in all circumstances of the individual complaint. It is often the case that firms must have robust T&Cs in place to uphold a strict trading environment and set clear expectations on themselves and consumers. Whether or not the FOS consider there has been compliance with terms or rules, will depend on the circumstances of the complaint. The FOS has publicly available guidance on the approach it takes to spread betting and other contracts for difference cases, including how it takes into account any relevant terms and conditions. This guidance can be found at: https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/businesses/complaints-deal/investments/spread-betting-contracts-difference

Inflation

Beth Winter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effect of the Growth Plan 2022 on the rate of inflation.

Andrew Griffith: The independent Office for Budget Responsibility is the government’s official forecaster and will publish its next forecast on the economy, including for inflation, on the 17th November. In addition, the Bank of England published its inflation forecast in their November Monetary Policy Report. Inflation has been pushed up by global factors, and more recently a tight labour market, with high inflation becoming more broad-based. The Government has the tools and resolve to reduce inflation – through independent monetary policy, fiscal responsibility, and supply side activism. Further, the Government has announced a significant package of support to reduce the pressure from rising energy prices on households and businesses across the UK. The Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) will cap the unit price that consumers pay for electricity and gas, while the government Energy Bill Relief Scheme will provide a discount on wholesale gas and electricity prices for all non-domestic customers. Following the introduction of the EPG, independent forecasters revised down their expected peak in inflation by around 5 percentage points. In their November Monetary Policy Report, the Bank of England stated that the EPG is likely to ‘limit significantly’ further increases in CPI inflation.

Financial Services: Economic Situation

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to (a) identify and (b) take action on systemic risks to the UK (a) financial system and (b) wider economy.

Andrew Griffith: The Treasury actively monitors the financial sector and any risks to the UK’s financial stability and the economy more widely. It works closely with the financial regulators, including the Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority, as well as relevant government departments. The Bank of England’s Financial Policy Committee is responsible for identifying, monitoring and taking action to remove or reduce systemic risks to the UK financial system. HM Treasury participates in FPC discussions through its non-voting membership of the Committee. An important feature of the UK regulatory system is that independent financial regulators are empowered to work to address risks and challenges to UK financial stability using their technical expertise. The Treasury’s role in relation to this is to set, maintain, and legislate for the overall regulatory architecture in a way that allows the regulators to consider and address systemic risks. The Treasury, as the UK’s economics and finance ministry, has established processes to monitor risks to the wider economy. The Government stands ready to respond to emerging risks as necessary.

Debts: G7

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what comparative assessment he has made of the level of debt as a proportion of GDP in the (a) UK and (b) other G7 countries.

Andrew Griffith: The Office for National Statistics (ONS) have published estimates of the UK’s debt as a percentage of GDP which can be compared to G7 countries. At the end of December 2021, this estimates that the UK’s general government gross debt was 105.6% of GDP. The UK has the second lowest level of debt in the G7, 29.1 percentage points lower than the G7 average at the end of December 2021.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

5G: Economic Situation

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of rolling out (a) hybrid 5G and (b) standalone 5G on the economy.

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether the Government's ambition for the majority of the population to have access to a 5G signal by 2027 refers to (a) hybrid or (b) standalone 5G.

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential economic impact of the rollout of standalone 5G in (a) Ashford constituency and (b) the UK.

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what her planned timetable is for the completion of the rollout of standalone 5G in (a) Ashford and (b) the UK.

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps her Department has taken to increase private sector investment in (a) hybrid and (b) standalone 5G.

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps her Department has taken to help increase the attractiveness of investments in 5G networks.

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans she has to (a) support demand and (b) create markets for 5G in the UK in order to encourage private sector investment.

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the role of 5G connectivity to play in Levelling Up.

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what role she expects 5G connectivity to play in levelling up.

Julia Lopez: In 2017, the government set an ambition for the majority of the UK population to have access to 5G by 2027. This has been met five years early, with basic “non-standalone” 5G - which uses 5G equipment on 4G infrastructure. Ofcom’s Connected Nations Autumn Update (7 October 2022) showed that non-standalone 5G is available outside up to 64% of premises across the UK.The Mobile Network Operators are currently trialling standalone 5G, where all network architecture (base stations, core networks and backhaul) is dedicated solely to 5G. We expect standalone 5G deployments to begin in 2023, and for this to help unlock greater potential of 5G and support uses in industrial and other settings, bringing significant economic and social benefits to the UK.The Levelling Up White Paper outlined our mission for what we want nationwide broadband and mobile coverage to look like by 2030.The Government has made reforms to the planning system to support the deployment of 5G and extend mobile coverage. Furthermore, the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill will allow operators to enter into additional agreements with site providers, enabling apparatus to be upgraded to 5G. In addition, the Digital Connectivity Infrastructure Accelerator programme is dedicated to accelerating the roll-out of 5G through the use of public sector assets.We are developing a Wireless Infrastructure Strategy to establish a new ambition for 5G, and set out how the UK can realise the full benefits of advanced wireless connectivity. We aim to publish the strategy later this year.

Project Gigabit: Rural Areas

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the Project Gigabit broadband rural rollout; and what steps she is taking to ensure that rural communities in (a) England and (b) Staffordshire benefit from the programme.

Julia Lopez: We are making excellent progress with Project Gigabit. By the end of March 2022, we had delivered gigabit-capable broadband to 741,000 premises, ahead of our target of 720,000 premises. Combined with commercial gigabit delivery, we are on track to hit our target of 85 per cent UK gigabit coverage by 2025.We have now launched procurements with a value of over £700 million to deliver gigabit connections to hard-to-reach homes and businesses across the UK, and we recently signed our first contracts in North Dorset, Teesdale and North Northumberland.In Staffordshire, almost 500 premises have benefitted from our gigabit broadband voucher scheme, which provides a subsidy for eligible homes and businesses towards the cost of installing gigabit-capable broadband. More than 320 additional premises are awaiting completion, for a combined total of over £1.9 million of support. Staffordshire County Council has also committed £1 million in top-up funding to support the delivery of vouchers across the county, providing an additional £2,000 for eligible premises experiencing speeds below 30Mbps.Building Digital UK’s recent market engagement did not identify sufficient supplier interest in the planned regional procurement for Staffordshire at this time. This procurement has been deferred and BDUK is now working on an additional procurement approach to deliver gigabit connectivity to hard-to-reach parts of Staffordshire.

Film: Investment

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has taken recent steps to encourage British film companies to invest in production within the UK.

Julia Lopez: The Government is committed to ensuring that British film companies are able to invest in production, expand their businesses and offer opportunities for cast and crew across the UK.In recent years, the government’s actions have helped the film and TV industry bounce back from the pandemic, with production now stronger than ever. This includes the £500 million Film and TV Production Restart Scheme, supporting over 100,000 jobs and productions worth more than £3 billion. In addition, the Culture Recovery Fund for Independent Cinemas supported over 200 independent cinemas to ensure that films could be screened in cinemas following the pandemic.To build on this, and support the industry to not only survive but thrive, further actions have been taken. This includes the government’s current £1.6 million annual funding of the British Film Commission, which has driven a near doubling of UK studio capacity, the £28 million UK Global Screen Fund, which is expanding the global reach of UK independent content, and the continued success of our screen sector tax reliefs (for film, high-end TV, animation and children’s TV), which in 2021-22 provided £792 million of support for over 1000 projects.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Redundancy Pay

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what total amount of money has been paid out by her Department in severance payments for former (a) Ministers and (b) special advisers since 29 June 2022; how much of that money has subsequently been repaid to her Department as a result of individuals (A) rejecting the payment or (B) returning to new roles; and in how many cases where individuals were in post for (I) 0-3 months, (II) 3-6 months, (III) 6-12 months and (IV) more than 12 months has their full severance payment been retained as of 2 November 2022.

Julia Lopez: The provision of severance payments for Ministers is set out in legislation. Details of the severance payments made to Ministers when leaving office are published in departments’ annual reports and accounts.Similarly, the provision of severance payments for special advisers is set out in the Model Contract, which is available on GOV.UK, including provisions for repayment of severance if reappointed. The cost of severance payments made to special advisers across government is published annually by the Cabinet Office.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Location

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will publish a breakdown of the total payments made to civil servants in his Department for relocation costs to Government offices outside London in 2021.

Julia Lopez: DCMS did not make any payments to Civil Servants to support relocation costs in 2021.

BBC Radio: Local Broadcasting

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will hold discussions with the BBC on proposed changes to BBC local radio output.

Julia Lopez: The Government recognises the important role that radio plays in terms of the provision of local news and information, and of community engagement, and is disappointed that the BBC is planning to reduce parts of its local radio output.The BBC is operationally and editorially independent from the government as set out in its Royal Charter, and decisions on service delivery are a matter for the BBC. However, I will be meeting with the BBC to raise the questions and concerns that MPs have in regard to the BBC’s planned changes to local radio in the near future.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

North Sea Oil

Clive Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the compatibility of the Rosebank oil field development with the UK's policy objective to (a) protect 30 per cent of the UK's oceans by 2030 and (b) introduce a net gain approach to infrastructure and development in the marine environment.

Trudy Harrison: The Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment & Decommissioning (OPRED) is responsible for regulating environmental and decommissioning activity for offshore oil and gas operations in the UK. OPRED is in the process of considering the environmental statement submitted by Equinor in support of the proposed Rosebank development. As part of this process, OPRED completes an Environmental Impact Assessment; consulting with Statutory Nature Consultation Bodies, including the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and the Marine Management Organisation, and will take into account the impact a project may have on the environment within marine protected areas, designated by HM Government and Devolved Administrations under relevant legislation.

Pets

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department holds data on the number of people who have been disqualified from owning or breeding pets under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

Rebecca Pow: Local authorities are responsible for the implementation and enforcement of the pet breeding licensing regime under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) Regulations 2018, and they hold information on the number of licences for breeding dogs which have been refused or revoked within their authority area. The Ministry of Justice collects data on the outcomes of offences tried under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, although published court data does not include information on the number of deprivation or disqualification orders issued by courts using their post-conviction powers. Defra does not hold data on the number of people who are subject to deprivation or disqualification orders under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 or on the numbers of people whose licence to breed under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) Regulations 2018 has been refused or revoked.

Bees: North Staffordshire

Aaron Bell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an estimate of the trend in the population level of bees in North Staffordshire over the last 10 years.

Trudy Harrison: While the Department does not hold comprehensive historic data on the population level of honey bees, the National Bee Unit does hold some county data, including for Staffordshire as a whole, on its BeeBase website. This data relates to honey bees managed by beekeepers and indicates a rise in the honey bee population in Staffordshire, from around 2,300 colonies in 2012 to around 3,200 colonies in 2022. It is important to note that the overall number of beekeepers registering on BeeBase has risen dramatically over the last 10 years, and this may account for the apparent rise in the honey bee population suggested by the colony numbers. We do not hold information specific to the population level of wild bees in North Staffordshire over the last 10 years. More generally, Defra’s indicator recording the distribution of pollinating insects in England between 1980 and 2017 shows long term decline for the majority of the 377 species of hoverflies and bees. In the short term, however, around 40% of these species have become less well distributed, and around 40% have become more well distributed. In the short term, more recorded bee species are becoming more widespread in England than are becoming less widespread. We cannot provide information on which species are declining and which are increasing. We are keeping these trends under review.

Waste: Crime

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the National Crime Agency on tackling waste crime.

Rebecca Pow: The National Crime Agency (NCA) is a full member of the Joint Unit for Waste Crime (JUWC) which was launched in January 2020 as a multi-agency taskforce to share intelligence and operational capability and capacity to tackle serious and organised criminality in the waste sector. The NCA is a member of the Joint Unit’s Oversight Board, as well as being fully involved operationally. The Oversight Board also includes Defra officials. Officials from the Environment Agency and NCA are in very regular contact through the work of the JUWC. The JUWC has shown the value of joint working when tackling the poly-criminality of organised crime groups. In the two years since the Joint Unit for Waste Crime launched it has worked with over 50 partner organisations and engaged in 74 multi-agency days of action, which have resulted in 52 associated arrests by other agencies.

Convention on Biological Diversity

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether any Ministers from her Department plan to attend the COP 15 UN Biodiversity Conference.

Trudy Harrison: Defra is the lead department for the Convention on Biological Diversity, working closely with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCDO) and Cabinet Office. The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will lead the UK delegation to the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15). Lord Benyon, Minister of State for Defra, will also attend.

Environment Protection: Regulation

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to enhance environmental regulation following his Department’s review of existing EU regulation.

Trudy Harrison: The United Kingdom is a world leader in environmental protection and HM Government has clear environmental and climate goals, set out in the 25 Year Environment Plan and the Net Zero Strategy respectively, as well a legally binding obligation to halt nature’s decline by 2030. In reviewing retained EU law, Defra’s aim is to ensure that environmental law is fit for purpose and able to drive improved environmental outcomes, whilst also ensuring regulators can deliver efficiently. Any changes to environmental regulation following the review of REUL will need to support the continued delivery of our environmental and international commitments, including those with the EU.

Women and Equalities

Equality: Cost of Living

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of increases in the cost of living on (a) women, (b) ethnic minorities, (c) disabled people, (d) single parents and (e) women with no recourse to public funds.

Maria Caulfield: The government understands that families across the UK are worried about the cost of living, and are seeing their disposable incomes decrease as they spend more on the essentials. That is why the government has announced £37 billion of support for the cost of living this financial year, with most support going to those that need it most, regardless of their gender or ethnicity.We have taken decisive action to support millions of households and businesses with rising energy costs this winter through the Energy Price Guarantee and the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. In addition to the Energy Price Guarantee, millions of the most vulnerable households will receive £1200 of support this year through the £400 EBSS, £150 Council Tax rebate and one-off £650 Cost of Living Payment for those on means-tested benefits, with additional support for pensioners and those claiming disability benefits.Over the summer, a number of meetings and focus groups have taken place to hear disabled people's experiences in relation to the rising cost of living. Alongside this officials from the Disability Unit continue to engage with stakeholders to build the evidence base on how cost of living is impacting disabled people. This information will feed into the government’s response.With regards to those without recourse to public funds, there are strong and important safeguards in place to ensure vulnerable migrants who are destitute and have community care needs, including issues relating to human rights or where the wellbeing of children is in question, can receive support.